Surprise!

Baby #2 is on his way! That's right, it's A BOY! He is due May 12th and we are so excited. And Clarkie can't wait to have a little brother.

Look Who's 1!

Today was Clarkie's first birthday! The time really does fly, seems like just yesterday we were welcoming him to the world. We had a fun day (but missed Clark, who had to take a four hour final). We went to the zoo:

Giraffes

Checking out the rhino in the distance

Watching the polar bear swim

Tigers too

Had lunch at In N Out

Clarkie got a basketball hoop for his bday, but he was more interested in stealing the camera

Birthday Cake

It disappeared fast!

Birthday boy in his birthday suit

Clark's final went well, only 3 more to go! He got to join us for cake and presents. Clarkie was very worn out by the end of the day, I think he enjoyed his 1st birthday.

11 Months

Clarkie is now 11 months old, only a few weeks until his first birthday! He has also been walking for about a month now, and he's getting pretty good, he walks about 75% of the time. In fact, he tries to get down and walk whenever we're holding him. He's very very active, always curious, always exploring. He also says 'mama' and 'dada' (though he says dada way more often). He amazes us more and more every day!

Halloween Etc.

We had a great Halloween this year, it was Clarkie's first. Clarkie went as a racecar driver, and he loves his car! We use it more than the stroller now. We went to the Law school halloween party Thursday, and went to Trunk or Treat with church last night and had a great time at both.

Skeleton PJs

Clarkie with his AR 15 Rifle

Us at the UofA vs. UCLA game last Saturday. Go Wildcats!

Blowing Bubbles and Clapping

9 Months

I'm a couple weeks late on this post, but I still can't believe our little Clarkie is already 9 months old! He has been growing like a weed, weighs 21 pounds and is almost 30 inches tall. He loves to crawl around and open all of our cabinets and drawers and get everything out. He walks along the couch and with his walking toy, and can even reach the top of the kitchen table! He has also started clapping, waving and he'll dance to any kind of music. Wants to eat everything we are, but he only has his two bottom front teeth so far. He sleeps so great at night and takes a two hour nap most days. He's super vocal, babbling and mimicking our speech and screaming all day, but he's still very quiet around new people. His favorite toys are, unfortunately, cords and computers, so we do our best to hide both. He also headbutts his daddy on command, which hurts daddy more when he's wearing his helmet! We love this little man more and more every day, everything he does amazes us.

Looking out his bedroom window; he has the best view in the house, overlooking the Catalina foothills and national forest.

Daddy got him dressed on this particular day
We went to the zoo with the playgroup from church this week. If you look very closely, there's a rear end of a polar bear in the background of this shot.
Flamingos; Clarkie was over it by this point, more interested in watching the other kids.
His favorite cabinet in the house, the plastic cabinet. This scene happens at least once a day, but it makes him happy, so we haven't locked this particular door yet.
Helping Mommy do the dishes is the least he could do; what a sweetie!

The Last Getaway

This post is s little out of order, but we decided back in August to do a trip to Danville before Clark started law school, and we would have no time for a trip for the next 3 years. It's a loooooong drive from Tucson to the Bay, but it was worth it. We had a very fun trip, visiting Great Grandma, as well as both sets of grandparents and aunts and uncles. Clarkie also got to go to the beach and see the ocean for the first time. He loved it! The Santa Cruz water was freezing, but it didn't seem to phase him. And I think he ate a lot more sand than we realized at the time.
And to explain the second picture, for the last month Clarkie has been wearing an orthotic helmet to fix his brachycephaly, a.k.a 'flat head syndrome.' Be careful if you have a new baby, all this 'back is best' stuff for SIDS is creating a lot of this problem. Clarkie is doing really well though, he'll be wearing the helmet probably through Halloween. Just in time for a super awesome costume. Any suggestions? We're thinking a skater, Magneto, or a lego man...

Three Year Anniversary

We have been married for three years but we have been best friends for about seven.





Happy Anniversary Erin! Thanks for a great 7 years. I love you.

Brolray Reunion

We just got back from the triennial Brolray reunion (a nickname formed from the last names Brassfield, Boltz and Ray, the cousins who started it). This year we went to Estes Park, Colorado, and had so much fun spending time with my dad's side of the family (pretty much all of them!) Clark had never met most of these people, but I think he actually had a lot of fun. And everyone simply adored our little Clarkie boy, so much that he hardly slept the entire time.

At Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Clark was doing a little extreme stroller driving.

On our way up to the top.
We stopped at a waterfall, and Clarkie got to break in his new Kelty backpack.
I think he likes it!

My brother Chris, Dad and Clark made it all the way to the top at 12,005 feet. Meanwhile, my mom, Clarkie and I were enjoying a Diet Coke about 500 feet lower at the snack bar. Good job guys!

Clarkie ready to make a grab for cousin Matt's iphone. He's already got expensive taste.

Hanging out with Grandad at the condo.

All 58 of us (I think, I haven't actually counted). These people are all of the descendents of my dad's mom, and her brother and sister.

Clarkie did his balancing act for the talent show; he was a big hit.

He loved all the attention from everyone, giggling like crazy. Clark was glad he pulled it off in front of such a big (an important) audience. And I was the proud momma! Thanks Brolrays for such a wonderful time.

Summer Days

Lots of swimming...



(He pulled these sunglasses off about 2 seconds later)


Bubble baths...


Gotta do a little work too


What an exhausting life!