What's in a Name?

A lot of people ask us how we arrived at the decision to name our baby Blake. Believe me, it wasn't easy. We both liked Thomas for his middle name, especially since it's my maiden name. So we knew his first name had to sound good before Thomas, and that was pretty much the only criterion. Towards the end of my pregnancy, Ryan was the one who suggested Blake. We both liked it, and it stuck.

After doing a quick google search, I now know his name means both light and dark. Hmmmm. I've also learned there's a Gossip Girl actress (yes, female) named Blake. There's also a pub in the UK named Blake, and it's on Blake Street. We'll have to go there someday for sure... maybe Blake's 21st birthday? And finally, I found a Blake High School in Maryland. I doubt we'll ever make a trip there.

The Jury's Still Out

You may remember in a blog post last month, I promised an upcoming entry about what it was like as Ryan went back to work. Well, he did go back to work about 4 weeks ago... sort of. He worked for 6 days, and then reported for jury duty. As it turns out, he was seated as Juror #1.



Just as Blake and I were getting used to Dad coming home in the middle of the night, he started coming home in the middle of the day.

Well, today the case reached its conclusion. So now...


Tomorrow Ryan will go back to work (for real this time). And one week from today, I also go back to work. As far as I know, civic duty is not calling my name.

As for Blake, he too faces hard work ahead: learning to live without Mom & Dad for about 8 hours each day. How does he feel about that? The jury's still out on that one.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Look what we did last night! Talk about fun for the whole family... Blake got to spend time with his grandma and grandpa out at Raley Field. He actually seemed to enjoy the atmosphere, with lots of lights and other exciting distractions.


Blake also got to meet Dinger. I think I was more excited about this picture than he was.


For the record, Aunt Katy came to the game as well, but she was out buying food and beer for the family during the mascot photo opp. I hope she would agree: beer is slightly more important than Dinger. (Sorry, Dinger!)

There were a few innings without a lot of action. So for about an hour, Blake did what he does best.


And to top off a great evening, the River Cats won 8-3.

Naps Are a Mom's Best Friend

First of all, as I write this, you need to see my inspiration:



Isn't he the sweetest sleeper you've ever seen? Nap time is our new thing. Let me re-phrase. Keeping track of naps is our new thing. Now that he's about two-and-a-half months old, Ryan and I feel as though Blake should start getting into a bit more of a routine. And little does he know, I'm about to rock his world by going back to work. Naps are crucial, and it's obvious he needs them. Even though he is the best baby in the world, he still gets cranky when he's tired. (p.s. He gets this from his dad.)

Speaking of naps, the other day, Ryan and I caught him napping in his swing in what we like to call the "Touchdown!" position. This is simply a Kodak moment worth sharing.


And still on the subject of sleeping, one thing that makes Blake tired (or at least he gets tired of trying) is Tummy Time. I realize if you're not a parent or a parent of this generation, you may not know about Tummy Time. I didn't. The idea is to put your baby on his tummy so he learns to lift his head and strengthen his neck. If he's looking left, I stand to his right and talk to him. This is supposed to be incentive for him to turn his head and look at me. He can do it, but he doesn't always like it, as evidenced in these pictures.




Blake would much rather chill on the couch in the sitting up position. We can kinda prop him up these days, as long as we keep a close eye on him. He tends to slouch over to one side or the other. But at least Libby's willing to share the couch, and the pillow... as long as Blake shares his blanket. Aaaaaawwwww.

Eight Is Enough

Blake slept 8 hours in a row last night. This is HUGE! Equally huge was the grin on his face a few minutes after we got up.



No pictures of Mom or Dad, but you can take my word for it: we were both smiling also after a good night's sleep. Let's see if we can do it again tonight.

A new mom can dream anyway...

Picture Proof

You can read all about our Bay to Breakers adventure in my previous blog post. This photo perfectly demonstrates the beer/baby stroller combo and some crazy costumes. Avatars were VERY popular this year. Hey, at least they're clothed. Thanks for the pic, Audrey!

Bay to Blakers

Well, Blake saw neither the bay nor the breakers. But he did see A LOT of other new things (ahem, strange naked people). Hopefully there are none of those in this photo.


For those unfamiliar with Bay to Breakers, it's actually a race where people run and compete to win. I'm assuming a handful of people do that. The other tens of thousands of us stumble through the 7-mile course from the San Francisco Bay to the breakers on the other side of the peninsula. Most people wear crazy, topically-themed costumes (my favorite this year was the Olympic curling team, complete with the sweepers and a GIANT curling stone). Some people wear nothing at all. Some people bring their dogs. And just about everyone brings alcohol or other things that are illegal to do in the street. Or just illegal period. B2B is a lot of fun, but Ryan and I and our friends quickly learned it's a very different experience with a baby.

Blake was smart enough to keep his eyes closed most of the time. Despite the crazy ruckuses and the very loud music, Blake slept and slept and slept. The stroller has that effect on him. Here's a photo showing one of the moments he first started to wake up. ("Mom, where are we????")



Okay, so you see the beer in the cup holder? That's the only one I actually drank. What you don't see is the handy-dandy ice-chest-like device Ryan fixed up for the compartment of the stroller underneath the baby. Oh yes, besides pushing baby Blake, I was also pushing several dozen beers on ice. I only consumed the one this year because, yes, I had to feed Blake about 3 hours into our journey. I pulled over to the side of the road, and found a decent place to rest while Blake enjoyed lunch. Believe me, I was discreet. There were a lot more women who weren't so discreet, and they weren't even nursing!

Surprisingly, I got the least amount of attention when I was feeding Blake. Most people along the course gave us big props for bringing the baby. One drunk girl even ran up to get her pregnant friend and declared, "See? This will be you next year!" Some people also took Blake's picture. Pretty much everyone first assumed the stroller was just a clever way for us to carry our booze. Most quickly realized we were carrying both booze and a baby. I like to say, in the Becker family, that's how we roll... in this case, quite literally.

Size Matters...

... at least to the doctor, anyway. Blake got his official 2-month measurements yesterday.

Drum roll, please.

Weight: 12 lbs, 15.9 oz.
Height: 24"

You may notice Blake's weight is precisely .1 oz short of 13 lbs. I suppose when you're trying to gain weight, every point-one-ounce counts. (Too bad the same isn't true for me, as I continue trying to lose weight: "Yay, I lost .1 ounces today!" Right.) Blake's weight puts him in the 78th percentile, and his height is in the 85th percentile. That confirms he's tall for his age. Good job, dude.

Blake was actually more excited about the paper covering on the bed in the doctor's office than he was about his measurements. He learned it makes a cool sound when you wiggle on it. I'll have to try that next time I'm the patient.

Here are a few pre-vaccine photos, when Blake and I were waiting for the doctor. (Look how long he is!)




And then there were the shots. Three of them, to be exact. I'd love to say Blake performed perfectly, but he's a baby and a strange lady poked three separate, very sharp needles into his thigh. Would you be okay with that? That's what I thought. Blake cried. He pretty much screamed his head off. I did fine, trying my best to calm him down. It didn't work until that strange lady stopped poking things him into in. Then he miraculously stopped screaming. Imagine that. Here's a picture I like to call "Baby's First Bandaids." (Notice: no tears.)



He recovered nicely. He was a little clingier than normal during the day, and his thighs appeared somewhat swollen. But our little precious Blake bounced right back. He was laughing with Dad during the lunch hour, and he took a good, long afternoon nap. Given his owies and all the drama at the doctor's office, I gave him a onesie with a fitting message to enjoy the evening in.

Turning Two (Kinda)

Today marks 2 months since Blake was born. Seriously. And in honor of his two months, I have posted two blogs today. That's a first.

As you can see in the photos below, Blake keeps growing. He is sitting up on the couch much better, and gaining a lot of strength in his neck. And check out his long legs. His little legs might be just about longer than Billy Bear's legs. (Billy was my teddy bear when I was Blake's age, by the way). I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say he got his long legs from his Mom. Blake, not Billy, that is. We get official measurements in couple of days when we go back to the doctor.

Other Blake developments include a pretty regular sleeping pattern. He's now sleeping 6 hours in a row at night, and then usually snoozes a little more after a quick early morning meal. Sleeping in baby = happy parents.

Blake's also a lot more vocal, in the happy sense. I sense that he is very close to giggling. He also likes to carry on a discussion with whomever will listen. Should we debate which side of the family this comes from?

I also re-posted his pics from Month One and Day One so you can chart his growth with us.


Two Months:



One Month:

One Day:

Mother's Day

Blake and I had a great first Mother's Day. Here's proof.



Being a mother myself now makes me appreciate all mothers out there even more, especially the mothers in my family. It was great to spend time Sunday with both of Blake's grandmas, too.

Up next: Father's Day!

Say Cheese!

This will be another short blog to show off some cute baby pics. For the past few weeks, Blake's been really honing in his smiling skills. I'm not talking about the it-feels-so-good-to-you-know-what smiles babies are famous for; these are genuine I-love-you-Mommy-and-Daddy smiles. Sometimes they're tough to catch on camera because he gets so distracted by the funny machine I'm pointing at his face, but I recently had some success. Isn't he the cutest?



And Blake's not the only one honing in new skills. Both Ryan and I are becoming masters of how to make Blake grin. I won't reveal our secrets; you'll have to learn your own silly tricks. But based on the tactics to which we resort, it shouldn't be long before Blake is laughing at us, too.

Like Father, Like Son

Blake had another big first this past weekend, and it was a BIG one. At least in his dad's eyes. Ryan took us all to Home Depot! I'm sure this will be the first of many trips for Blake. Mom would just as soon stay home. Here are a few pics of Blake helping Dad cross items off the list. As you can see, he got a little sleepy in the garden section. No worries, buddy. In a few years, I'm sure you'll be running up and down the aisle with Dad.