Grandma we MISS YOU!

Me and Boston and John can't wait for grandma to come back, and for grandpa to come meet this little baby that looks like him! Thanks boys for letting mom come and take care us. We don't know what we would do without her!

He looks like his MAMA!

This is me. I was 21 in long, 8 lb 7 oz.
This is Boston, 20.5 in long and 8 lb. 5 oz.

He has Johns cute pouty lips, but the rest of this little guy is all Hunt. John and I think he looks like dad a little even. We pulled out some baby pictures, and found some of me that look just like him. Lucky for him, he has perfect ears. He has the most beautiful complexion. He looked like such a cute little man in his outfit to go home.

the real boston parley

well we just got home with the newest addition to our family and kali is pissed.. (jk). the birth experience was in a word.. tight. it was a real special experience for both chele and i to see how thin the veil can be and what a great work and blessing the family is. michele was so awsome.. me not so much.. kinda weak.. like x-mas lights weak. we are very excited to have boston with us and to have mom and baby in such good shape. thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers throughout the whole ordeal.. we love you all so very much.. larry.. a little less. just teasin. thanks again everybody. you're the best.

CONGRATULATIONS!

You both must be so proud of your little son.....I can't wait to see him on Monday. He looks just like his daddy.

Michele & John are the proud parents of a new baby boy!

Boston Parley Cloward has arrived

born January 23, 2008 at 2:45 pm

He weighed in at 8 lbs 5 oz

He's got dark hair -

He is so sweet!

He's already mastered "The Lip"

His parents are madly in love with him -

so is his Grandma

He's adorable!

Landon & Tanner - Bouldering Vids on Flip!

Landon and I put my new Flip to good use yesterday as we went out for a day of bouldering at Castle Rock State Park near San Jose. Landon tore it up! Here's one vid of me and 3 of Landon squeezing the juice out of some sandstone. Pretend like you're interested in our bouldering obsession and enjoy...

Home Improvement

It's funny the things that excite you when you are a home owner. In our last house, it was brand new, so we didn't change or update much while we lived there, but this one has lots of things we have really wanted to fix. It began with wanting a new faucet. Ours had no sprayer, so doing dishes was really annoying. Then, when we went to pick one out, John didn't think the ones I liked went with our ugly stainless steel sink. We hate the sink. We have always hated the sink. So we bought a new one.
In an effort to keep track of our minor renovations and projects, I have been taking before and after pictures. John ripped the old sink out so fast, I couldn't do it, but here it is on the floor. It was so gross.
The disaster that was our kitchen, when our little project turned into a 2 day ordeal. After the first sink from Lowes was off balance, and having to pick out a different one, then breaking the copper on one of the plumbing parts of the new faucet and having to buy ANOTHER one... the project we started at 3pm on friday, got done at 11am on saturday.
But the result, totally worth it. It's gorgeous, clean, I LOVE the faucet, and I want a baby to bathe in it!

3 More Days...

John took this photo a few nights ago. Obviously it was a rough one. If a picture says a thousand words, than this needs little explaination. In about 3 days it will all be over and evenings like this will either be funny, or forgotten. Is this birth control for you Tiff?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAYE!

Top 10 reasons Faye deserves a happy birthday:

1. She has put up with me for 28 years, 3 months and 6 days without looking back.
2. She has given birth to five wonderful children.....she even helped me raise them.
3. She rarely plays the "cry" card during a disagreement with me.
4. She let me mortgage our first home to start a business.
5. There is no cook like Faye, she loves it when you love her food.
6. She's always serving and doing unto others....but never wants the credit.
7. She supports me, always has.
8. She is fiercely independent and strong, and that quality has rubbed off on our children (except Landon....we'll see)
9. She let me buy a Porsche and join a Country Club, even though she thinks fast cars and golf are stupid.
10. She loves me, what else could a guy want?

Happy birthday dear, I agree with all the kids.....you're the best.
I love you.

Mom's Thanks To Her Kids!

Mom wanted to thank all her daughters for their blog shout-outs today. So what better way to do it than with our new Flip Video?! Enjoy!

Happy B-Day to Mi Madre!

I'm following suit after my big sisters and giving my awesome mom a birthday blog shout out. Instead of attempting to match my sisters eloquent use of words and Shakespearean way of blogging, I've included just a few of my favorite pics of mom, and some far-from-poetic words.


Mom and Landon - Norway

Mom and Dad - Yosemite


Mom and the girls - New York City

Mom and I - Scotland

Is my mom the ultimate world traveler or what?! I chose these pictures because it's one of the sides of my mom I love the most, her adventurous side. These pics cover about 2% of all her world travels. She spoils all her kids (as you can see) and is the best travel partner. She was so fun to be with in Scotland. It was one of the best trips I'll ever have in my life and I'll never forget the amazing time we had together there.

When I'm in Mexico, I think instead of dwelling on all the things I'll be missing so much about mom (her cooking, her big huge smile, her love for everyone around her, etc), I think I'll try and think of things I love about my mom that make me laugh. For instance...

*She is obsessed with Propel flavored water, and she will only drink the peach flavor

*She's even more obsessed with France, Paris, French people and French restaurants, but unlike Landon and dad and I, she hates escargot

*She hates steamed mussels even more, and dad always orders them at any seafood restaurant we go to. She always gets the dirtiest look on her face as he eats them, and he gets ticked

*She gets cold so friggin easy. If the temperature is 60 degrees outside and a little windy, mom will wear thermals, a down jacket, a beanie and a scarf while Landon and dad and I make fun of her in our jeans and t-shirts

*She wants to remodel everything in our house so bad that when we nearly flooded a few weeks ago, she was praying for the water to get in the house so she could get new carpet and a couch

*If she presses a wrong button on her ipod, ipod player, computer, camera or cell phone and it does something out of the ordinary, she'll never admit that it was something that she did. She'll just blame it on the state-of-the-art software that controls it

*When I come downstairs in the morning and she's on the treadmill and I say good morning, she yells back, "Good Morning!!!!" like, hella loud, because shes listening to her ipod and has her headphones on :)

It's these funny little memories and times that I'll miss the most. There's no way to describe the impact my mom has had on my life. Her testimony has strengthened mine in ways far greater than she understands. She's the best example to me in every way. She's also my best friend, and I love hanging out with her. She is simply the best mom I could ever ask for. I hope I marry somebody just like her some day. Thanks for everything you've done for me these past 19 years mom. I love the crap out of you...and Happy Birthday!

What?!?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Brown

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

Take this test >

What?!?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Brown

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

Take this test >

Landon can't be black....

Landon must have thought me and Tanner and Dad are cool and answered the quiz the way he thought we would have, because there is no way he is Black! I'm kidding, but he should re take the test. Mom is totally blue... Summer, it's your turn. Are you black like the other cool Hunts?

Also, an update... looks like we are definitely making it to the induction date of next wednesday. The Dr. is going out of town until then, so this baby better not decide to come now! He thinks he is probably around 7.5 lbs. But who the hell really knows... didn't Summers Dr. say that about Noah and then he was 9.2! I hope he is right. I had my final weigh in, and my total weight gain is 29 lbs. But that doesn't include the IVF weight gain. Maybe I'll start training for a marathon with Tiff if it helps me lose 20 lbs!

We got our Flip Video yesterday. I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to take videos of the baby and put them on the blog so you all can see him. We are thinking we will borrow someones lap top (Johns is still broken from our honeymoon 2 1/2 years ago) so we can send you all photos and videos from the hospital so you don't have to wait 2 days to see what he looks like. At least he will only be 3 1/2 weeks when most of you are here to be at the blessing and MTC. I was talking to a lady in the waiting room at the Dr today who had a 4 week old baby girl. I can't believe I'm going to have one of those so soon. She was so tiny.

I have been having nightmares lately that this baby is born with my ears. Everyone pray for him that he isn't. That would be so unfair. I also have been having nightmares about germs and my 15 nieces and nephews that are going to want to hold him and touch him, and I can't handle it, so you all better stay healthy if you want to touch my baby. I'm kidding, but not really.

Maybe my "intimidating" Black personality will make sick people want to stay away.

Color Test

Landon and I just took the color test. I'm a blue and Landon was a black - I think he needs to retake the test - because I can't imagine how he can be the same color as Michele and Tanner. I'm curious what everyone else is now.

Storm Watch

This was the creek at 11:00 today - it got higher after we left the house.

Where are all my scrapbooks?

A noticeble adjustment to our bookcase - Where are all my scrapbooks?

Flood Preparations

up on the couch - we must be getting old! - Instead of our potential flood disaster plan consisting of pulling out the knee high boots, sandbagging the walls, pulling all night patrols on the creek - we just got everything up off the floor level or lowest bookcase that had any sentimental value
(apparently your Dad isn't sentimental about anything because he didn't move anything :)
then as the creek water raised and it appeared we would flood we headed off to the movies.
When we returned - the water had gone over the wall and 1/2 way across the lawn and the whole house smells mildewy like it is wet underneath - but the rain let up a little and the water in the creek dropped down a little. So the house hasn't flooded yet. Time will tell. We won't be out of the woods with this storm until probably Sunday.

Thanks everyone

I seriously laughed out loud at all the comments everyone put. Thanks for your help and advice... even though everyones was different. I agree with Robyne... when he comes out I'm sure we will know his name. I was thinking the other night how crazy it really is to try and name someone you have never met! How do people do it?? All 3 names are in the running still, and everyday I'm favoring a different one, although I do think it will end up one of those 3. Now I don't know what we were ever thinking considering Lincoln or Roman. He is so not a Lincoln or Roman. He is difinitely a B... I just don't know which one. Maybe if I name him Larry Bode Cloward, but call him Bode, someday in his sealing he will fake everyone out like Randy did. Yes, today that is my first choice. Larry Bode.
Just kidding. We love you Randy. White flip flops and all.

Ok, really want your input

So, I had the poll running on our blog about the baby name. It was between Roman, Lincoln, and Boston. The poll voted for Lincoln by far... but now that name is out of the running. Now, we are thinking about Boston, Brody, and Bode. Here is the deal, Boston and Brody we both love. Bode, (pronounced Bodee, like the skier Bode Miller) we also love, but the spelling is an issue. I feel like if you spell it B-o-d-e, then it looks like it rhymes with mode, and thats how people will want to pronounce it. I think B-o-d-i-e or B-o-d-e-e look like girl names. So, the bottom line is this... if we go with that name, will he always be correcting the way people pronounce his name so it doesn't rhyme with mode? How would you want to say his name if you saw it written as Bode? If you don't like that spelling but you like the name, how would you spell it?
Now, we are not deciding on a name until we meet him, so there are no gurauntees, but I want your opinion on the spelling of the name Bode, so we can either keep it in the running, or throw it out and leave it between Boston and Brody. Hurry and help me out. He could come any day now!