Kai's Face

So here he is in all his splendor. Showing me all his different faces. This began with a simple haircut (compliments of Mommy as no one else is allowed near him with scissors) and ended with Kai in all his glory. Enjoy!

Lovely Luca

Luca Oliver Livingstone Clark

Born March 2, 2006


So this story begins a bit more sane than the first time around. I didn't even nearly reach the 200 mark, and my ankles remained until the end. My stomach was just the right size, and although I lived in fear of 10 pounds, I was very pleased to welcome a very average 8 lb 5 oz baby boy. Labour was short and sweet (2 hours) and all natural. I often feel as though that was one of the best days of my life. It was incredibly amazing for both Tony and I to have a more natural birth. Luca came out all brown like the first time, with another full set of hair. I could also have sworn he had blue eyes, although everyone was quick to tell me that would change (it didn't!) My blue eyed, brown haired boy with those same incredible dimples his brother and dad have that make my heart just melt.


He was up every 1.5 hours to feed, but it didn't matter, because he didn't cry. I relished each moment of his early days as I really felt like my first attempt at mothering a newborn had been less than successful. He brought much joy to all of us, including Malachi who was desperate to hold him and tell him how much he loved him.


The major difference between the boys is not, unfortunately energy or persistance, but language. Luca is quite content to grunt and point, and now is over 2, with still barely understandble words. No more than 2 in a row either, with a long pause between. This is however, one of the things about him that is most endearing to me. His constant struggle to tell me something, of which he is convinced he's saying something quite obvious.


My other favourite thing about 'Coca' as he calls himself, is that his voice is all raspy and gorgeous. He was a newborn, and his cry was already raspy, and people would always ask me if he was sick. Nope- just a bit of Brian Adams going on there. If he sings, I think he will have the most incredible raspy voice. I want to teach him Brian's most famous lines like "Cuts like a knife" or "Have you ever really loved a woman." So if we're not calling him Coca or singing "Went to the Coca Cabana" to him, or calling him "pack a day" we pull out the "smirks." He is infamous for giving everyone these shy little smirks.


He is now full force into the twos, and I am amazed that he actually is just as stubborn and determined as his big brother. The only real sentences he does say are the insults he hurls at me on a daily basis. "No Mommy" "Bad Mommy" Timeouts are his second home and he looks straight at you doing exactly what he wants, knowing exactly what the consequences are. He hits his brother and throws toys at him on a daily basis. The only problem is, I'm still wrapped around his little finger....

My Kai

I thought it might be a neat idea to write a synopsis of each of my boys. So here it goes:

Malachi Thomas Livingstone Clark

Born August 14, 2003 (age 4 almost 5)

My first paragraph has be be about where it began. Me - ten months pregnant, 208 pounds with enough water retention to water our nation's gardens and a stomach that looked like it housed an army. His will was ascerted at a very young age in this simple act of definance: he refused to come out. Absolutely committed to the womb. After being nearly 2 weeks overdue, and the highest dose of pitocin the doctors could legally give me labour began. 18 hours later out came my man baby. 10 lbs 5 oz and a head circumfrance that wasn't even ON the circumfrance chart. A thick black wig and man hands completed the look. We named him 'Tuktoyuktuk' in tribute to his very Inuit looking appearance.

That stuck for a bout a month. Then, well, we just HAD to call him Malacry because he did just that - cried for months on end. He was awake and crying in my arms until the son rose almost every day. He has had the most persistant nature since the beginning. Thankfully, by 6 months things calmed down, and by 9 months, I was fully in love.

We knew early on that he was exceptionally gifted with words and language. He had a few words down by eight months, and short sentences by one year. By 18 months he was expressing his feelings - "Mommy - I feel fustrated" He has always been terriffic at communicating how he is feeling and remembering words after hearing them once. He usually innately understands their meanings too. He understood phonics at 3 1/2 and before the age of 4 was already sounding out words. What a gift from the Lord - it thrills me to see how God will use that gifting.

Like Most two years olds, he was incredible at communicating all the things that he didn't appreciate. Any sort of transition in his day - cue the meltdown. He hurled insults and threw anything within reach. There were days I thought I would never live it through. He behaved like a child who had just had 10 pounds of sugar and a case of redbull. People often commented on his endless energy which was both fun to watch (as he pulled out his Elvis dance moves at church, followed by a break dance routine) or totally unbelievable. I had a girlfriend with my once who experienced a full stage 10 episode, and she was incredulous. She commented that she'd heard of what he could do, but couldn't even believe it to see it. That's my boy.

He's now 4 turning 5 and heading to kindergarten. I can't believe it. I just know I'm going to cry.

Some things to know:

He is an excellent dancer

He loves to sing but can't carry a tune (much to his own frustration)

He has an incredible ability to create things in play

He is a bit leery of new things (like his big bike) and takes a while to warm up to it

He is one of the most persistant people I have ever met

He encourages me (and others) with beautiful words of affirmation

He loves quality time with anyone

Kai's most recent quote: (while driving to church)

"Mommy, I can't marry KK right? Because she's just a baby and I'm 4" (to which I replied - "well I thought you were going to marry Eryn?" To which he replied..") "Oh yah, that. Well, I have a lot of choices"

Thats my boy - playing the field.

The Best Intentions

So here I begin. I'm notoriously awful at journaling, or keeping track of day to day happenings. I really can't remember when my boys cut their first teeth, or first said "Mommy" so here is my attempt at journaling. Sorry to Tony - he bought me this gorgeous hand made leather journal from India that I just can't bear to write in - it's too beautiful to touch. Maybe if I get good at this blogging thing I will trust myself to finally crack open those gorgeous leather pages and write some love letters to my tony.kai.luca.