34 weeks

We are approaching the arrival of our first child. Many, many people have been through this before us. This is not uncharted ground, the last frontier or anything that will be in next years Guinness Book of World Records. But for us it is. For us it is uncharted territory. For us if means new joys and pains that we have heard about, but from the same mouths hear that we will never understand. We hear we will never understand till we do it for ourselves. So hear we go. I don't now what is harder to accept: the fact that this little boy may be completly opposite from me, enjoying thing that I can't understand; or the fact that he might be just like me, stubborn, fiercely independent for no reason, and a sucker for a pretty face. Speaking of a pretty face, my wife is amazing. I hope so much that he is like his mother; calm and peaceful, gentle and understanding, dignified and respectful. Liv worked her last day at the day-care on Friday. She is now a committed full time mom, which sometimes she is nervous about. Sometimes I am nervous about providing for a wife and child. Like I have stated before, we try to take turns freaking out so we don't both crash at the same time.
It's amazing how choices liberate us. The world teaches that by avoiding choices, and thus responsibility, we present ourselves with more freedoms. I disagree. The Lords plan is for us to progress. When we choose to follows God's law we are happy, if we are continuously progressing and experiencing happiness then we are living God's plan. When we live in accordance to God's plan we are free to chose the destiny of our souls. True freedom is obtained through obedience.
When this new little guy coming into our lives I am so glad that he will have a mother like Liv. She is getting into the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy. Our boy is always moving around in there. My favorite thing to do is put my hand on her stomach and wait for him to kick it off, which he will do. He is very active and we spend a lot of time reading to him, talking to him, singing him songs (usually off key), and just watching him move around. I think the most difficult part of this stage is accepting that anything can happen, but not knowing what will happen.

Liv had been doing a great job at preparing for labor. She is keeping track of her diet making sure she is getting enough food for the baby. She is doing exercises that will prepare her for labor. We have taken a tour of the hospital, we have drafted a birth plan (that we still need to revise. We have the car seat in the car. We almost have all of our bags packed. I am experiencing a feeling like I have not experienced before. On other adventures in life I have either known what to expect, or known what to do when it all goes wrong. Right now I don't know what to expect, or what to do if it all goes wrong, but I have never been so excited.



Liv at 27 weeks



Liv at 31 weeks



Mama and Papa Clark and Liv (AZ 9/12/2010)



Liv at a typical Arizona art show talking with the artists



Liv at her favorite place