Jonah the Model

We can always make him smile when he falls asleep eating. He smiles a lot.
Awake and Aware.
Bathed, dressed up, and hair combed for his first doctor appointment on his one week birthday.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is miraculous and one of the best things you can do for your child.
That said, I must warn those of you out there that are thinking of doing it that having a baby nurse on you feels like having really hard titty-twisters, but the pain eases as the feeding goes on. When your milk comes in full doctors/books talk about your breasts being "engorged", that is really what they are. It is painful. I can best describe it as feeling something like having your breasts lit on fire while being electricuted. My mom says it feels like being hooked up to car jumper cables. You get the idea. I wore ice packs in my bra all day yesterday. My nipples have now begun to crack and bleed a little. I cried a little when Jonah spit up milk with a couple spots of blood in it. My pediatrician says that is totally normal (but scary and sad and a little creepy nonetheless). The first few days I mostly wore soothies on my nipples (permanently cool breast pads that keep your clothes from chaffing you - thank you Abbie for telling me about them) and occassionally put a little Lansinoh pure lanolin on instead (covered with a regular breast pad to keep the gel from getting on my bra). I have now switched to ice packs and tons of lanolin, plenty of pain killers, and an evening pumping (as of yesterday). I'm paranoid about pumping too often because I'm worried that my body will think Jonah is eating that much and compensate for that. Apparently the past two days and the next few days are my body's days for figuring out how much milk to produce regularly in a day and it initially starts out with the max amount. Before my pregnancy I wore an A cup, during my pregnancy I wore a B cup, I think I'm a C cup now, but hopefully not for long. I don't think I'll ever long for bigger boobs again.

More Jonah

Why do I have a mustache?
Notice that Jonah is smiling in this one.


He scratched his face sometime on the first day so now he has a scratched cheek in every picture.

Introducing Jonah Charles

I've been too busy staring and feeding to take hardly any pictures. Fortunately Nana Colleen has taken lots over the past four days so I will post more later.
Jonah entered the world Wednesday morning, Jan. 31st at 9:21 am. He weighed an unbelievable 8 lbs. 2 oz! He has beautiful soft brown hair and big dark blue eyes. He makes a lot of cute facial expressions including smiles. He likes sleeping and milk and being burped. He loves when Dad wraps him, when Mom feeds him, and when Nana snuggles him. I think Brandons is actually a more natural parent than I am. He is a great swaddler, burper, changer, cuddler, etc. I feel like all I'm good at is making milk and timing feedings. No, we're both taking to the parenting thing pretty well actually. It helps that we have a really good baby.
My cesarean went well and I got to go home from the hospital a day early cause I was doing so well and wanted to be in my own bed. I can't drive for three weeks or pick up anything heavier than my baby (think a gallon of milk) for longer than that while my incisions heal. I'm trying to take things easy. It helps when Mom is cooking and Brandon is cleaning and I get help with burpings, diaper changings, etc. Taking care of myself requires a little extra work these days. I don't feel too sleep deprived, but we'll see how I do when Brandon is back in school and my mom goes home... Thanks for all the phone calls, gifts, emails, etc. I appreciate your love, support, and well wishes. We are all doing great.

A rare crying moment.

Only 4 1/2 Days Left

Here's me right before bed on Wednesday night. 38 weeks, exactly one week before my scheduled delivery. My cankles are back. In the past week I've had good days and bad days. My doctor had to give me a prescription for nausea and to "slow down my system." I was having to eat every three hours and was in the bathroom way too much. I'm managing just to take a half dosage at night only now. It keeps me from waking up and needed to eat and wanting to barf. Okay, too much information, but this is all the journaling I've been doing.

I only have three pairs of pants that I fit into. I'm not working anymore and I'm resting a lot. I've been reading books on c-sections the past 3 days. Today I'm going to try and find sheets to fit the bassinet part of my pack n' play and buy a second car seat base, other than that I'm all geared up. I'm visiting a friend today - she has some baby gifts to give me:) And tonight I'm going to dinner at the new Cheesecake Factory with two or three girlfriends. Earlier this week I bought everything I need to make my favorite meal (dhal bhat) but I can't get into spending more than 15 minutes on my feet in the kitchen so I haven't done it yet.

The past 2 nights I've had dreams of being in the hospital for delivery. I'm excited.

Did you know that only 3% of babies are still in a breech position this late in pregnancy? This boy is starting out rebelling and trying to be unique. I opted not to try a version to turn the baby, I hope that was the right thing to do. We really want 4 kids and I don't want having a cesearean with my first to ruin my chances.

Anyway, I'm just rambling here. Love you all!

Confession

I stole this book from the public library. Kind of. I returned it today.
Let's go back to this summer, probably late June. I went into the library, like I do most weeks and I checked out a couple books.
I am a library geek. I am on a first name basis with the circulation lady, Lisa. I have been at the library almost weekly for the whole 3 1/2 years I've lived here.
Well, this particular summer day a woman I'd never seen before checked my books out. I asked her if she was new, she said no, she just didn't usually work the circulation desk. Jump ahead two weeks. My books are due and I return some and go to renew the others. This particular book I have not even opened yet. When I go to renew it online I find that it and the two other things I checked out on the same day were never actually checked out. I return the other two and mention that they were never checked out properly and I think I even tell them I still have another out but they can't fix it cause I don't have the book with me.
Well, when I start reading this book I just can't really get into it. I'd read the first four in the series several years ago and so I've forgotten a lot and am having a hard time getting back into it, plus maybe I just wasn't in the mood. On top of that, this book was long winded and used the f-word too much. But I just couldn't return it without finishing it. I knew I had no due date and I just kind of forgot about it. Periodically I would pick it up and read a chapter or two. Recently Brandon figured out that I'd had it for several months and asked how and then told me just to return it if I wasn't enjoying it. But I DO like it I insisted. Finally, last week I plodded thru the final few chapters and really enjoyed myself. I'd skimmed a few of the later chapters just to get going again after a couple month break.
Anyway, I returned the book I "borrowed." I think I had it checked out (or not) for 7 months. I am a bad person, but it took me that long to read it. I am making a public confession, for all it's worth, and it's sad, but I really don't feel that bad about it. The library system has several copies of the book and I had the big awkward hardback. I know I should feel bad, but hey, at least I returned it.
The End.

A Year in Review; 2006

January began with a visit from the Jensens. We drove down to Dallas together and spent some fun times there, including a visit to Medieval Times.
A haircut was my next big move for 2006. I also quit my job of one year as the counter manager at Foley's Penn Square's Prescriptives Cosmetics.
My brother, Teddy, began his training as a missionary for our church in Feb. 2006. He spent a couple months in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT learning Malagasy before heading to Madagascar.
March is Spring Break. We spend our break with ALL of my siblings (except Ted), their spouses, their children, my parents, and Grandma Donna in Rocky Point, Mexico.
Looking good with Victoria & Alicia in April.
Shortest hair I've had in years.
In April I began hating my new job at Emser tile. I also began burning out on my calling in Primary. Gas prices spiked all around the nation. I finished my Spanish class, did my taxes, and my favorite tv shows were Grey's Anatomy and Crossing Jordan.
This is me and my friend Lacey at the Paseo Arts festival. I went to 3 of the OK metro's art's festivals this year. This is the day I figured out I was probably pregnant. I remember I kept telling her that my boobs hurt.

2006

Here is our baby at 8 weeks gestation. We lovingly referred to him as The Gummy Bear after this. We announced our pregnancy in July.
My best friend, Jen, and I. Spent a few days in Utah in August; hung out with the Jensens, Jen, and went to my 10 year high school reunion, also spent an evening with Mom as she was there on for BYU's Education week. Four of my siblings and several neices and nephews met me at the Phoenix airport for my layover to see my little baby bump, talk for a while, and give me maternity clothes.
September- discovered that we were having a boy!
October- Vacationed with Mom in Massachusetts. Here's us on the ferry from Nantucket to Hyannis.
Spent Thanksgiving with Brandon's mom's family. Good times!
Spent Christmas with Brandon's dad's family. Good times again.

More good times for New Years with my family.

Baby Shower #3

My third and final baby shower for this pregnancy. The first was in Utah, the second in Arizona, and finally one in Oklahoma. This one was thrown by my friend Megan, assisted by my cousin Alisha, and given with help at the home of Denise. We had a great turn out and a lot of fun. There must have been about 17 guests, most of whom stayed most of the time, so it was a room full of talkative women. I got great gifts; blankets, books, clothes, toys, diapers, wipes, baby toiletries, etc. I was very pleased. Several women chipped in to buy our bassinet/playpen which is being shipped to the house in the next couple days. We're so excited to get it set up! Again, the food was great. We had a chocolate fountain, fruit, cheesecake, and all sorts of things to dip in chocolate, plus some great punch. I truly feel honored to have such great friends.

More Ice

Here is the walk from the mailroom at our apartments. That may look like snow, but it's not. It is a sheet of ice from freezing rain and sleet. Today will be the first day with temperatures above freezing in a week and yet the schools are still closed. Driving has been treacherous. Sleet and snow are expected on Saturday.
Happenings:
Not much. Walked to the mailbox with Brandon on Monday. Periodically he would have to leave me to go sliding giddily across the parking lot and then return for my arm. Church was cancelled on Sunday so I got to email my Relief Society lesson to the sisters. Tuesday I drove for the first time since Friday morning. Got some grocery shopping done. Also napped. I've been exhausted the past couple days. Yesterday I did 30 minutes of cardio at the gym and essentially nothing else the entire day. Nothing. Today I'm determined to be more productive.

Jonah's Arrival

I am scheduled for a cessarian on Jan. 31st. This boy doesn't seem to want to get into a birthing position. I'm focusing on the positive - Mom can schedule her flight out, no labor pains, quick delivery, etc. He could still flip, but it seems unlikely. Lots more to tell but I'll blog tomorrow when I can include pictures.

OK Weather

Granted, Oklahoma has possibly the weirdest, fastest-changing weather in the country, but Okie's, especially the news stations are also obsessed with the weather. We are currently experiencing "Ice Storm 2007", as the news stations have so named it. It is our only real storm this winter except for the similar one in November. This one hasn't hit OKC as hard as the eastern part of the state where ice has taken down power lines and left over 40,000 people without power. That would really suck. Oh, the first 2 hours might be fun, but after that, it would just be cold and miserable. Think of having a baby and trying to find a friend's house to go to. Scary.
Anyway, Brandon's school closed at noon on Friday, so we're enjoying a 3 1/2 day weekend. This is good for him because it gives him extra time to study for part 2 dental boards which he is taking on the 22nd and 23rd.
Friday I got really "nesty" and cleaned everything out of the bedroom and vaccuumed and declared it a "no cat" zone from now on. I also organized all the baby clothes from my AZ shower in with the stuff I'd already organized by size before our vacation in my first spurt of nesting.
Yesterday went by quickly. I watched my new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire dvd. Not only does the new Dumbledore bother me in that movie, but Hermione always looks like she's about to cry and she bugs the crap out of me. Hopefully in movie #5 they will be better. She needs some acting lessons and Dumbledore needs to reread the books and get his character down. Or maybe it's the new director's fault. Dunno. But I also don't like the soundtrack on movie #4 as much. All that said, it is a good adaption of the book and still very entertaining.
I finished reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (book #6) about a week ago, I'm about a year behind everyone else. I loved it just as much as the other books and it got me so excited for book 7. As far as movie #5, I believe it's coming out this summer. I'm most excited about seeing the creatures that pull the Hogwarts carraiges. Ever since I read that part in the book, that's what I've been most excited about seeing put on the big screen. Sirus' house should also be highly entertaining, not to mention the climax at the Ministry.
Well, enough about Harry Potter. Church got cancelled today, which meant I didn't get to teach in Relief Society and I'd already asked for a substitute for next month, so that's kind of sad.
I enjoyed being iced in, but I've got to walk around more today, all the sitting of yesterday was hard on me. I don't understand why Jonah wants to lay straight across my stomach for the past few months. Lay upsidedown! or even rightside up, there's more room!! I think I will try to get Brandon to escort me to the mailbox at the front of the apartment complex sometime today, I need to walk! We're having the missionaries over for dinner tonight and that's always fun.
Well, that's enough from me today. I'll be enduring constant weather coverage every time I turn on the tv today, man, it's worse than tornado season.

Thursday

Woke up just after 8am today cause I needed to pee (again). Ate some cereal, had some tea. Found out the high today should be 62 degrees but it won't be above freezing after that for at least a week. Yipes.
At 9am Brandon's phone rang, he woke up and came in to snap at me for not waking him. Even though he usually (although yesterday WAS his first day back in 3 weeks so I'm not quite used to it yet) has to be at school for a patient at 9, it never dawned on me to wake him. I just told him he never asked me to wake him and asked why he hadn't set the alarm. I crawled back into bed while he told me to go get the antibiotics and then rushed out the door. I slept until 11. Woke up, resteeped my tea and had another cup (Teavana's "To Life", one of my all-time favorites, packed with anti-oxidants. Check out their website sometime). It was wonderful and much needed (the extra sleep, but I suppose the tea was too). I feel significantly better today, but I probably should pick up those antibiotics anyway, right? Well, I'll definitely be picking up a Cold Buster Jamba Juice.
I was supposed to go to work at 12:30 but a few minutes ago (11:30) I got a call from my boss that neither student has showed up or called in. What a weird last work week. I guess I get to run my errands earlier.
Watched The Illusionist on Tuesday night. It's a good one, you should rent it.
Read a few of your blogs today and two of them inspired me to post one of my most-used recipes. This recipe has been highly modified from its original version that I found in 1996 on the back of a box of instant rice.

Taco Rice
Boil 2 cups rice with 4 cups of water or chicken broth
Add 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
2 fresh cloves of garlic; minced
Boil for one minute then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
In the last 5 minutes of cooking add one cup of frozen corn.
When rice is done, stir in one can of black beans.
Dish up into individual bowls or plates. Add 1/2 chopped tomato, 1/4 diced avacado, and shredded cheese to each serving.
We also serve with black olives, pepperoncinis, and sour cream on the side.
This is a family favorite. Easy, one dish, all food groups, healthy, hearty, tasty, filling.
Enjoy!

Netflix

I love Netflix. I have been a member since July of 2003 when Brandon was in Anatomy class from 8-5 Mon. thru Fri. and I was only working part-time. They have always had a much better selection than Blockbuster, but Blockbuster is only 5,000 movies behind now (I wonder if they have my weird British selections, tv series, or classics yet). Just in the last week I've been tempted to switch to Blockbuster since they started running their tv ads that mention that now you can return your movie to the store and get a new movie immediately. I do hate going to the video store, but every once in awhile I wish I could have a movie tonight instead of tomorrow afternoon. My loyalty is wavering. What do you think?
Here is a link to be my "friend" on Netflix so we can see which movies the other person is watching and how they've rating their viewings. Let me know if any of you are members.

http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/PTDsZldFNdQoD91IKucl

A Wednesday with Emily

Thanks to an extremely low sodium diet, I once again have ankles. Unfortunately I realized on Saturday that I also was extremely low on protein. So now I am doing low sodium for breakfast and lunch and a regular dinner.
Hmmm... what else is new? My baby is still breech so the doctor is scheduling me for a cessarian, which I am hoping I will not have to have.
Got to leave work early today as one student didn't show up and the other had to go to court this afternoon. Preschool was highly entertaining, as usual, this morning.
I love Jamba Juice, and I think Cold Buster might be their best flavor, plus I swear it is healing me. I replace at least one scoop of orange sherbet with mangos.
Yesterday my doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics that I am supposed to fill if my head cold is not gone by tomorrow. He said I could be getting a bacterial infection on top of my virus. BUT, today for the first time in 9 days I am cutting back on my nose blowing. Who knew the body could produce so much mucus!
I need to run into Maceys today and also go grocery shopping. It's probably taco rice or unstuffed peppers for dinner.
Worked out yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks. Jonah did his usual dancing, but now that there's less room it really hurt.
Target sushi (minus the soy sauce) for lunch today. Mmmm.
Note to those with nut allergies: the Chicken Tikka Masala from Ajanta contains cashews. Jamon, please don't sue us for making you violently ill on Monday. We love you. Who knew one bite could cause such a reaction?
Something else I learned this week: Stalin was responsible for almost as many deaths as Hitler, nearly 30 million. I knew next to nothing about him before preparing a lesson for my high schoolers. Evil, evil men.
A bobby pillow looks like a perfect nap-spot for a cat.
Styrofoam cups from Braums are rather delicate. After an incedent with my Jamba Juice cup this morning, Jodi informed me that a bump from the elbow in the car has twice pushed her straw thru the bottom of the Braum's cup. Those of you who are outside Oklahoma are missing out on some good milk from the dairy here called Braums. I also like that they serve 32 oz. orange juice (as opposed to most fast food breakfast joints that only have an 8 oz.). The icecream is pretty great too. Look closely on the milk carton to discover the creamy secret... it's concentrated.
Why did the airport inspectors open my foundation? It was EXPLODED all over my luggage when it should have been sealed AND tucked inside a latched train case with the rest of my toiletries. I have been unable to remove the big spot from my suitcase no matter what products I tried on the vinyl and I have yet to see if my long-wearing $40 formula will come out of my shirt. A true test for my ever faithful green spray n' wash stain stick!
Well, that's about all for today's ramblings.
Aloha to all my faithful readers.

Mascara Search

This is Prescriptives False Eyelashes Mascara. I've been using it for the past 2 years. I like it in brown more than black. I ran out recently.
Now, I've been getting my skin care and cosmetics for half price or free for the past 8 years. Last January was the end of those days (for now). But I've had plenty of most things on hand. I have had to buy some skincare. And I'm spoiled now having used the nice brands for so long.

My first job in cosmetics began in 1999 at what I call the "Et Cetera" counter. After a year of working there, I moved. About 6 months later I got a job working at the Lancome counter. I worked there for several months and then started freelancing as a makeup artist for Lancome's special events, which allowed me to only work 2 days a month. I did that for 3 years. During the last year of that I began my own home-based business selling Mary Kay. I did Mary Kay for about 3.5 years. Then I began a job as the counter-manager of a Prescriptives counter. I love all three brands I worked for (I also really like Clairins). I like a few select items from other brands I was exposed to as well. Let me know if you ever have questions regarding your skincare regime or cosmetics, I love sharing my knowledge.

Anyway, back to mascara. When I ran out of my "false eyelashes" I decided I didn't want to spend $19 to replace the tube with the same stuff. What other mascaras do I like? Lancome, but theirs is $22 and Mary Kay which is $15 and I believe has been recently reformulated so I may not like it that much anymore. Well, my mom has always liked the pink & green drugstore mascara, but I never did. But I believe there must be some very good drugstore mascaras out there that cost less than $10. I was very amused at the Wal-Mart selections that boasted 3x, 5x, and 8x the volume. How much volume is too much? Is 3x enough? Where is 6x? I took a random shot and bought Cover Girl's VolumeExact in brown. I'm not very impressed. It seems to flake off a bit (I frequently use eye drops and also rub my eyes), which irritates my sensitive eyes. I never had a problem with my False Eyelashes.
I'm looking for something water-resistant or at least smudgeproof, but not waterproof, and that gives a little volume. Any suggestions??

Baby Shower #2

Baby shower #2 was in Arizona. It was given by my lovely sister Robin. She was greatly assisted by my mom and my sister-in-law Michelle. All my sisters were there, plus several cousins, old family friends, an aunt, and a couple adorable toddling neices.
The food again was great! Spinach dip, tuna with cilantro & lime, danishes, and Robin's famous shower punch. I have 4 friends in AZ, 3 were out of town, and one thought it was the following Saturday, so I missed out on seeing them, but had a great time with my family. Thanks for coming and for all the great gifts!
Robin had Brandon and a few other people do a Brandon & Emily's Baby Madlibs, which was highly amusing. But of course, we were mostly just there to stare at my belly, shower me with gifts & advice, and have a good time in each other's company, which we certainly did. We also found out that my cousin and my sister are expecting babies this summer. So fun! Jonah will have cousins his age, lets hope for boys!

Today was our childbirth class. It was 7 hours long. We were not looking forward to spending our Saturday this way but it was actually pretty fun and very informative (plus a little scary). We really liked the teacher.

I'm really ready to nest: clean the house, buy the bassinet, the carseat, etc. Thank you Michelle and Adam for the swing! We plan on keeping the baby in the bedroom for awhile and then moving him to the "nursery." The nursery will still kind of be Brandon's computer room, I think. We're in an apartment, so we're not painting and we're moving in June so we're not keeping baby furniture and decorations to a minimum, but I'm still looking forward to its transformation.

Fun in the Snow

Alan and Brandon clearing off the frozen pond.
Katie in action. I went down two small hills on the sleds, obviously not on my belly though.
Brandon at the bottom of the sledding hill.
I actually rode on back of the snowmobiles once, nice n' slow, on a road. It was still fun.
You wouldn't have been able to resist wearing this either.

Baby Shower #1

Barely made it to Utah for my first baby shower. Had some major flight problems.
Linda was a fantastic hostess. She served my favorite food: Smothered Burritos with Cheese from La Puente. She also made her fantastic guacamole and creamy tomatillo dressing was served with the veggie tray. I made salsa. She got a cake that said, "Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails - It's a Boy!" from a fantastic French bakery. The food was incredible overall.
She was distraught that she'd bought way too big of a cake and 3x as many burritos as she needed because so many people didn't show up and hadn't RSVPed. We certainly enjoyed the leftovers though. I was only disappointed that I didn't get to see a lot of my Utah friends. Whoever came to the shower were the only people I spent time with on the trip besides the family because for the next four days we holed up at the cabin in Heber with no cell phone reception. We did have aunts and cousins from three sides of the family show up. Three out of four is pretty good. I had my best friend there too.
Linda had frozen little plastic babies into ice cubes to put in our limeade and each guest was to write on their cup (which matched the invites and cake) what time they thought their baby would be "born" (thawed out completely). It was a great conversation piece. We also played How Much Liquid Can a Diaper Hold? It's shocking just how much. Prizes were given to the winners of the games. But mostly we just had a great time hanging out and talking. It was great to see my aunt, cousins, and favorite in-laws. I got great gifts, mostly clothes, but also a baby carrier, a couple toys, and gift cards. Yippee. I can't wait to go buy my baby bed, etc.!

Christmas with the Jensens

Cody (yellow lab), Me, Brandon, Katie, Alan, Linda, Brandon M., and Andy.
Out behind the family cabin in Heber, Utah on Christmas eve.

Cankles

So, I flew to Utah on the 22nd and then a couple hours later went into a salon for a pedicure (thank you, Jen!). The guy working on my feet said, "Oh, have you been experiencing a lot of swelling?" I say, "No, not really." but then I look down at my feet and gasped as I see that they are swollen and have indentations from my shoe straps! Oh, I guess so. Probably just from the inserts I wore in my shoes right? Made them kinda tight. Or I hear travel makes some people puffy... No, I have officially moved into the realm of cankles.
I know this is a normal pregnancy symptom, but it feels anything but normal. In the summer when it's really hot my feet and hands swell a little, but nothing like this. The sensations are gross and uncomfortable. Those first couple days I thought that my skin might actually split open. Brandon assured me that that could not happen, but I wasn't entirely convinced. Putting my feet up above heart level helped a bit, but it is not an easy thing to do, as pregnant women are not supposed to lie flat on their backs. In addition to putting my feet up for swelling I'm also supposed to walk around a lot and not sit still too much. ? Which is it? Asked my doctor yesterday and he said it is really both. So many contradictions!
He also said I need to cut back on my sodium and drink more fluids. Sounds easy enough. I've always been pretty good at drinking lots of water and I am more a sweets-lover than a salt-lover. Doc told me they would give me a list of foods high in sodium. In my head I'm thinking, "Like I don't know this stuff - mac n' cheese, canned foods, pickles, blah, blah..." Two shockers on the list: bread and cereal. Not all cereals, but lots, and most all bread products. That makes life a little harder. And protein is hard to come by unsalted. This is going to be harder than I thought.

(Imagine my fat legs, feet, and ankles here cause I'm certainly not going to be posting a picture.)

Eragon Review

Eragon, the most highly advertised movie in a long while, opened yesterday. Brandon and I had the day off so we went to a nearly empty theatre for the 12:30 show, an Orange Julius in hand (pina colada with banana actually).
Overall I give the movie a B rating. Fortunately I haven't read the book yet, so I was saved any disappointment on that account. It is an entertaining fantasy film, appropriate for older children, but a bit too scary for younger ones.
Let me first tell you the good things. Good storyline, great special effects, really bad badguy, good acting, cool dragon, good chemistry between characters, good characters (though many were underdeveloped). Sadly, the film was less than 2 hours long and it left something to be desired. You wanted to see more development of the boy, more of his training, more of his mentor, more development of his dark friend, more of his learning fighting, the elvish language, and magic, etc.
The biggest problem with this film can be described in one word, "formulaic." Even if I spelled that wrong, it is an accurate description. They took what appeared to be a great story, cut it too short and Hollywooded it too much. Some pretty poor scriptwriting and some cliche lines and predictable happenings made it kind of weak.
All that said, I still recommend it and think most of you will enjoy it. We did.

The Truth About Santa Claus

(I got this story as a forward from my Grandma Aggie today. I is a story I hope I never forget.)

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" She snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."
"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car. "Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends , my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.
Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.
"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."
The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.
Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.
Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care....And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

30 Weeks

I think it's a combination of the angle of the shot and the way I am standing, but I look HUGE here. But that's okay with me, I'm really not very uncomfortable AND I'm 3/4 of the way thru my pregnancy now. Only 10 weeks to go! Brandon says I look like I swallowed a basketball.

Snowed In

Unlike in Utah, where it would take about 3 feet of snow to shut anything down, here in Oklahoma it's a whole different story. We get snow about 5 times a year. It always begins with freezing rain, then sleet, then snow (or would it be than?). That means there's a nice, thick sheet of black ice under the snow and roads are extremely treacherous. Snow in Utah is very soft, big, fluffy, and wet. OK snow is dry and crunchy and it usually kind of hurts, small ice chunks more than flakes a lot of the time. We actually got some soft flakes on Thursday.

So we woke up Thursday morning with freezing rain but very little snow on the ground after reports on Wednesday of the worst storm Oklahoma has seen in years on every news station. Well, it ended up being a pretty good storm and the roads were really bad on Thursday, but I think people got overly excited because it was the first snow of the year and such. Thursday all the schools were closed, which meant I didn't have to work and Brandon didn't either. We really enjoyed our day inside watching the snow fall, watching tv, baking, snuggling, eating, etc.

I made one of my favorite (and extremely easy) recipes. It had been almost a year since I last made it, what a shame. I got this recipe from my friend Ann from Hawaii a few years ago.

Great Grandma's Banana Bread
5 large bananas
4 eggs
1 c. shortening (I use butter or marg. or both)
2 c. sugar
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Beat all together and add to three greased loaf pans. Test for doneness before removing from oven. Bake 45-60 mins. at 325 degrees. Delicious!!

Been enjoying that bread for 3 days. I especially liked it this morning accompanied by hot chocolate.

Silly enough, all the schools closed again yesterday. We were a little stir crazy and went and wandered around Walmart for awhile in the afternoon. Then watched the rest of our My Name is Earl dvd (best show around) that we'd rented from Netflix (I don't understand why everyone doesn't join). Last night we decorated our little 3 ft. tree. It looks great! Brandon is a little disappointed that we didn't get a bigger and/or real tree this year, but we leave out of town on the 21st so I just didn't want to. We put lights up all over the dining room and a few other decorations out too. The cats haven't eaten any ornaments yet, so that's good. We've also been enjoying a lot of Christmas music. Our favorites have always been Bing Crosby, but we also really like the Charlie Brown soundtrack, the Nutcracker ballet soundtrack, and the Harry Connick Jr. cds. Yesterday at Walmart we bought an excellent Elvis Christmas cd and Christmas with the Rat Pack which is also quite good.

Hope you are enjoying the first few days of December! Love you.

Holiday Weekend

Here we are on Thanksgiving; The McBride Family. We were missing B's big sister Dr. Andy and her hubby Coach Matich but we managed to have a great time without them anyway. I'm so lucky to have great in-laws. Their neighborhood has all these weird fence laws, so what your seeing is us on their swing with the neighbor's house behind. Their yard with its swing, patio, furniture, landscaping and grill, is the envy of the block.

Spend the weekend cooking, eating, relaxing, watching movies (I'd recommend Muppets in Space), playing frisbee, playing Halo, doing Dance Dance Revolution, board games, and talking. I enjoyed every minute!

Casino Royale

Even though I found the new Bond to be unattractive I decided to see the movie anyway. I was not disappointed (neither were any of the professional reviewers). I think we may have found our best Bond and Bond girl ever. Definitely my favorite Bond film, even better than the Sean Connery days. No, it wasn't perfect, but yes, it was excellent. I may have to see it again this weekend. And if you like amazing physical stunts, not just car chases and things blowing up, the first 20 minutes (a foot chase thru a city in Madagascar) will delight you in a Jackie Chan-type way. A-. Go see it!

Giving Thanks

I am still basking in the glow of the holiday. I sit here at a computer in the home of my mother-in-law and her family. We arrived here in Illinios on Wednesday evening. Thursday was a fun family day of cooking and play and eating. Friday I did some shopping, got everything for Brandon's Christmas. Today I'm doing not much of anything but a little bit of helping Tori prepare for her 11th birthday party tonight. Tori is my youngest sister-in-law.
I'm thankful for:
1) A wonderful, loving, crazy family
2) Great in-laws
3) Fantastic friends
4) Good health
5) Modern medicine
6) A baby in my belly
7) A good education
8) Never going without the necessities in life
9) Delicious food
10) The ability to travel the country quickly and comfortably (unlike generations past)
11) Being able to keep in touch with loved ones online
12) The gospel of Jesus Christ
13) Online shopping
14) Holiday cheer
15) Good movies
16) Christmas music
17) A reliable car
18) A comfortable home
19) A talented, loving, ambitious husband and his enthusiasm for fatherhood
20) A great pregnancy

Thanks for reading. I'm thankful for you!

In Memorium

Yesterday we said goodbye to Uncle Danny.
At only 55, he suffered a brain aneurysm, probably from heavy smoking for years.

He leaves behind a wonderful wife and three Florida panthers (and I believe 2 dogs).
He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a good, kind man. He was a great storyteller. If that is hereditary, than he passed it on to my brother, Adam. Oh, and what stories he had to tell! I wish I could have heard them all. He will be greatly missed.

My poor grandparents, have lost 4 of their 8 children. Please pray especially for them and for my aunt Bonnie, but also for my mom and the other surviving 3 siblings.

I love you Uncle Danny and I am sorry that you never got to meet my better half, he would have loved you too.

What is that smell?

Last night we noticed a bad odor in the kitchen. It wasn't the diswasher, it wasn't the disposal. There were hardly any dirty dishes, so it wasn't old food in/on them. It didn't seem to be the fridge or the trash.
This morning we discovered it was a rotten potato in a small bag of potatoes on the counter. Rotten potatoes rank up there with old flower water on my list of worst smells. It had leaked its oozy liquid out onto my counter. I cleaned it up and disinfected, but the smell has dispursed throughout the house. I have two candles lit right now. What I'm concerned about is that some of the liquid has probably leaked down the side of the counter on to the floor next to/under the fridge. The crack between the fridge and the counter is a scary place. It is too thin to get a broom into and it is full of lint and cat hair and probably a few magnents, etc. I know for a fact there is a postcard and a dehydrated (by now) cherry tomato down there. If the potato stench isn't gone in an hour I will loose my mind. How do I get in there to clean?!

6 months along

As of yesterday, my wedding ring no longer fits. I think I may size it up a quarter size, as Brandon always swore it was too tight anyway. If it gets too tight again, I'll buy a bigger size cz ring and wear the fake one til the pregnancy is over. I just don't know if I want to wear my ring on a chain around my neck for the next three months. What do you all think? I'm okay not wearing a ring at all, but someone mentioned that they always look at pregnant women's hands for a ring and then feel sorry for those who don't have one. Weird. And though I shouldn't care what people think, maybe I kind of do. But maybe I just like an excuse to buy jewelry.

Oh, and my baby kicks back when you press on him now instead of moving away. That's his new thing as of today. So fun!

Learned a new Oklahoma word yesterday: mudding. You can probably guess what it is. In Wyoming it's called, "diggin'." In Utah it is called, "four-wheeling." Lacey says my Utah phraseology is boring.

A guy at the gym today said, "You look like you're about to pop." I said, "far from it." I bet with that kind of finesse he gets a lot of dates.

I told a friend today that we are probably going to name the baby Jonah Charles. She said (very unenthusiastically), "Jonah is good. I like Jonah." Listen babe, I wasn't asking for your approval or your opinion. Then she said (very distastefully), "Why Charles? Tell me that's a family name." Well yes, it actually is a family name but could you be any more bitchy? I didn't say that though, but hey, if you happen to read this, that is what I was thinking. Those who speak without thinking are the reason we considered keeping the name a secret. But actually, I don't think I've had any other negative comments on the name. But strangers treat you like some kind of freak if you tell them you haven't decided on a name. Sometimes they'll even press you, "Well, which names do you like? Are you trying to decide between two?" Are they just dying to hand out their unasked for opinion?? People are strange.

Last, and most fun, bit of news. This weekend we went to the Blue Man Group concert.
It was excellent!
Brandon called me the day the Oklahoma concert tickets went on sale, sounding a little bit frantic. Fortunately it was my morning off and I had an hour til the tickets went on sale. I didn't really know that much about the group, and I only learned a little more before going to see them. They are musicians and performers; great entertainers. This photo is of them with one of their instruments. Very creative. It is the only concert I've ever been to where I feel pretty confident saying that ANYone would enjoy their show. I would take a 5 year old, I would take my parents. If you ever get the chance to see them, do it.

Cocoa Butter?

Last night, while laying in bed looking at my belly, Brandon discovered a stretch mark! It's my first pregnancy stretch mark. It doesn't really look stretchy, although it is low enough that I can hardly see it, even in the mirror. It is dark reddish and looks more like a hickey or a bruise than anything, only it is pretty much a short straight line.
My mom gave birth to nine children and only has one belly stretch mark. My older sister got hundreds of stretch marks during her first pregnancy. Hopefully I've got good elastin (or is it collagen?) and more of Mom's genes. Most of my stretching will happen over the next 3 months so I will probably get more, but let's hope for the best.
I've been using an anti-stretch mark cream whenever I get out of the shower, but I'm almost out of it. I know genetics play a much bigger role than anything else, but does any body have any favorite belly creams they'd like to recommend?

List Lady requests your assistance

Attention all Mothers:
I would love you to email me a list of "new mom/baby essentials". If you are a stranger and want to participate, that is fine. You can email me thru my other webpage at: http://www.myspace.com/listlady by clicking on the "send message" button under my main photo. Can't wait to hear from all you mommies.

Baby Showers!

My wonderful, sweet sister Robin called me this morning to tell me she wants to throw me a baby shower while I'm in Arizona after Christmas. Thank you Robin! I only have a couple friends in AZ but I've got lots of relatives there and it will be nice to have an excuse to see all the female ones at once! And Robin knows how to throw a great shower (just check out her most recent blog if you don't believe me).
I'd really like to have a Utah shower because I have lots of friends there plus relatives and Brandon has tons of relatives there. The real barrier is that I am only going to be there during the week of Christmas. Nobody wants to feel like they have to buy another gift right at Christmastime, do they? And worse, Saturdays seem to be the day for showers and the only Saturday I'm going to be in town is the 23rd, the day before Christmas Eve. Ah, well.
As for an Oklahoma baby shower, that is yet to be determined. I have had several people ask about it but there are no plans. Hannah, my former co-worker from Foley's, has offered to throw one for me in January, after the madness of the holidays has passed. She doesn't know many of my friends, but I don't suppose that really matters. Right now she's my only offer for a shower, so you Okies will have to wait til January to give me baby clothes and you'll get to meet my negative, yet very sweet, 50-something, kookie former co-worker.
Fortunately, since we'll more than likely be moving out of state when the baby is less than 5 months old, we'll hold off on getting some of the big baby items for now. We're going to get a Pack n' Play (bassinet on a playpen) instead of a crib, no dresser or changing table, no fancy nursery decor or anything like that. I just want clothes, books, and the necessities (you mom's will have to let me know what all that includes). I have, of course, started an amazon baby wishlist http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/baby/ZHDO17YRNI3U . I just couldn't help myself. I love amazon!

Halloween, etc.

Coach B with his little witch wife.
So last week I made the mash potatoes again on Wednesday. Still a little pastey and this time a bit lumpy too, but again, extremely delicious. I love potatoes. I think maybe I'm using too much/many liquids. I highly recommend the Klondike Golddust potatoes I've been getting from Target.
Thursday was combined Enrichment activity for the ladies from church. I think there were 8 people there, some knitting, some tying a quilt and some of us sharing scrapbooking ideas. Mostly we were talking and eating. It was fun.
Friday night Lacey and I hung out. She got a fondue pot she wanted to try out. Hers is electric and has the best non-stick coating. We made cheese fondue first; half swiss, half something else, a little wine, a pinch of ground mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. So heavenly! We dipped apples, cooked mini-potatoes, french bread, sausage, and tomatoes. I've been craving more ever since. Then we made up a chocolate dessert fondue and dipped pound cake, raspberries, dried sweetened cranberries (our favorite), marshmellows (my unexpected next favorite), mini oreos, and bananas (another excellent choice). It was a great girl's date night! Can't wait to fondue again!! If I had room in my kitchen I'd probably have my own fondue pot by now.
Saturday night was Halloween party night. We decided to skip on the church party as it was out of the way and catering to people with kids. Then we went to Jamon & Alisha's party where we had the most delicious black bean soup (Alisha- I still need that recipe!). Mmm! Ham, lime, cilantro, sour cream.... Can you tell that my life is focused around food??
Oh, and whenever I eat now my right ribs hurt. It feels lots better when I lift my arm up though. My baby is getting big. They say he's about 2 lbs now. I had a check-up yesterday and everything still looks great. I gained four pounds in the past four weeks and my baby is very wiggly.
Back to the parties. We were the only couple there without kids but we had tons of fun. I had a small witch and a tiny bumble bee that really buddied up with me at the park. Cute kids! Brandon enjoyed playing football with the other guys at the party, I think they were all dental students. We had a great time. My favorite costume was the fat, bald Dracula with his (fake) gut hanging out under his cummerbun (sp?).
Next we stopped in at Victoria's annual Halloween bash. It was fun. We had a good time chatting with Jenny, Shaun, Victoria, and Rachel. We saw some really good costumes. My favorites were Nacho Libre, Wonder Woman, a she-devil and Michael Meyers. There were other good ones too but I can't remember.
Studying the Renaissance this week for school has been fun. Trying to condense it all hasn't been as much fun.
Tomorrow and Saturday I work 8 hour days giving makeovers at Dillards. I was excited for it a couple weeks ago but now it just sounds exhausting. I will make it fun though so that the days go by quickly. I want it to be Christmas break so I can just sit around at relatives houses being lazy. I desperately need to do laundry, etc. here but I have no motivation. Ah, well. Life is good. Write soon.