Nursery Rhymes

Clark has always given me a hard time about the way I sing Pat-A-Cake. I'll admit, the words I sing don't make as much logical sense. Here's how I learned it:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man!
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a B,
And toss it up high for Baby and me.

I think it's quite obvious that you wouldn't toss a cake up high. Well, maybe you would, but it would turn into quite a mess. I realize that "Put it in the oven," would be much more appropriate. But then, do you roll and pat a cake? I certainly don't.

Today I was looking through some of our new Nursery Rhyme books (we got 2 of them from Baby Shower Weekend!), and I came across Rub-A-Dub Dub. It's a good little rhyme. So I read it:

Rub-a-dub dub,
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candle-stick maker,
And they all jumped out of a rotten potato.

Ah, such a good. . . . wait a minute. They all jumped out of a rotten potato? That's not right. That doesn't even rhyme! Let alone make sense! I always learned that the last line was, "Turn them out, knaves all three!" In any case, I got some enjoyment out of this alternate ending, so I thought I'd share. Has anyone heard it this way before? Any other good "alternate endings?" Or even just rhymes that you find strange?

And the winner is. . . .

The votes are in. It seems that Marie is the most popular middle for Ella, followed by Mae. (I like how I'm telling you this, like you can't just read it for yourself). I really like Ella Marie, it just rolls off the tongue. But there are 2 of us who are picking Wombsly's name, so we'll have to see. And we have 2 first names to pick from. Again, we'll have to see. But thanks for the input, it helps to know what other people think.

Only 10 weeks to go!

Baby Shower Weekend!

This weekend Clark and I were able to head up north for a weekend of Baby Showers! I was fortunate enough to have 2 showers on the same day - one thrown by my family, and the other thrown by my friends. A big thank you to everyone who helped put them together, and to everyone who came. By the end of the day I was feeling pretty loved, and I'm sure Wombsly was feeling the same way.

So the first shower, the family shower, was held at the Social Room in Brigham Apartments (where my parents live). It had a "ladybug" theme, as our crib sheets/gear have ladybugs on them. So cute. Whitney and Jessica (the hostesses) made me some ladybug flip flops to wear, and there were ladybug decorations everywhere. And Whitney gave Wombsly a huge, soft, stuffed ladybug - I'm sure she'll love it. The food was delicious, and the company outstanding. For those of you who don't know, my Grandma Hurst is a quilter, she makes a quilt for every wedding and baby. So she gave us a quilt. But this quilt is beautiful. She won a blue ribbon for it at the state fair and it's been sitting in her closet for years and years. I am so grateful to have it, it's a real treasure.

The second shower, the friends shower, was held at the Paradise Bakery and Cafe. I had never been there before, but I had heard so many good things about it, so I was pretty excited to try it out. I wasn't disappointed. It was so good! I had a quiche pie, and that was delicious. I wish I would have gotten a cream cheese brownie, but I was just too full (another casualty of the pregnancy - I just can't fit as much in my stomach anymore). And I was impressed at how many people came out to join us. It was so good to see everyone, and it made me miss living closer to everyone. We need to get together more often, not just for weddings and babies.

I had my sister Kim take pictures with my camera at the family shower, so here are a few of those. I did bring my camera to the friends shower, but remember how I never take pictures? Yeah. Sad. The only picture I have is of the balloons that Karen sent (thanks, Karen!). And that picture is taken after the shower, in my parents' apartment. So, if any of you have pictures you'd like to send my way, they'd be appreciated. And the final picture in the slideshow is the pile of gifts now sitting in Wombsly's room, after a lot of condensing on my part. I was going to take more pictures of the actual stuff, but I just got to tidying up and suddenly everything was put away (if you can call that being put away). So maybe you'll get some pictures of that another day.

God Bless Our Prophet Dear

President Hinckley will be missed, no doubt about it. But I don't think I'm nearly as sad as everyone else is. I have no doubt of where he is going. And he was pretty old. And he enjoyed good health up until the end. And he now gets to be with his beloved wife. His passing almost seems like a happy occasion, a celebration of a life well lived. Last night Clark and I were swapping President Hinckley memories, and that man has left quite the legacy behind him. I realized that he has been in the First Presidency my entire life - he was set apart as a counselor to Spencer W. Kimball 16 days before I was born. And he's done so much for the church! I was reading the special section dedicated to him in the Deseret Morning News, and I was astounded at all the things he has done. It really puts it into perspective when you see it put down on paper, and all in the same place. He was a great man. Yet the church will go on without him. Things will stay pretty much the same. And I find great comfort in that fact.

In other news, it snowed yesterday. In St George. I think it's the first time this season; at least it's the first time this season that I've seen it. I liked it.

Oh, and we put together Wombsly's new dresser last night. Clark did most of the work - I was the lovely assistant who handed him screws and dowels. Here's a photo of the finished product. And that is our new lamp on top. Both are products of IKEA.

Weekly Quote 1/28/08

"We slipped into the farmer's room, all quiet like. . ."
"Like a fish."
"Yeah, and we. . . 'Like a fish?' You stupid Norbert."

That was from Chicken Run. New quote up!

Omaha

I was looking through some old pictures today, trying to get things a little more organized (hello nesting), and I found this gem of a photo. It's The Omaha Photo. Those of you who were there (of the people who read this blog, that is probably just Sabrina) will remember the event well. For the rest of you, this is from our bus trip across the country - Indiana 2000. OK, I guess it wasn't across the whole country, but it was a long ride. We rode a Greyhound from SLC to Indianapolis (a 36 hour ride) for a concert (Guster and DMB). We were only in Indianapolis for about 36 hours, and then it was back on a Greyhound for another 36 hours. Totally worth it. But this photo was our stop in Omaha, and coincidentally the only time I've ever been there. In case you can't tell, I'm not happy at this point. I had just fallen asleep, and then we stopped and they made everyone get off the bus for a cleaning. And it was my first real experience with humidity. I don't like humidity, as it turns out. Someday I'll have to give Omaha a chance to redeem itself. But, as you can tell, Greg and Scott are having a keen time, chowing on their cupcakes. Such a good photo, and such a ghood memory!

Would you like to take a survey?

For a while now, Clark and I have had 2 names picked out for Wombsly - Julia and Ella. We are open to other names, but so far those are the only 2 we can agree on. If we name her Julia, then her middle name will be Diane, after Clark's mom. But we've had some debate on what her middle name would be if we went with Ella. And so (fanfare!) I've created a poll! Vote away, my friends.

Cake Mix Cookies

Last week I made some of the most delicious cookies I have ever made. And, as fate would have it, they were also some of the easiest cookies I have ever made. I got the basic recipe from allrecipes.com (a most excellent website, check it out if you haven't already):

CAKE MIX COOKIES
2 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix ingredients together. Make little balls with the dough and set on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 4 - 10 minutes.

Ok, 4-10 minutes is quite the window, so I'd say it's more like 8-10 minutes. So there is the basic recipe, and it's great. I've made it quite a few times with all different flavors of cake mixes. But this most recent batch was incredible: chocolate cake mix, with mint chocolate chips added in. Oh wow. I love mint chocolate. So very much. And when they were nice and warm, fresh out of the oven, and the chocolate chips were melted and gooey: HEAVEN.

Weekly Quote 1/21/08

"We're experiencing technical difficulties that may prevent your chats from being sent." As it turns out, gmail chat was driving me insane last week, it kept kicking me off and having technical difficulties. Lame. New quote up!

Interesting Mail

Earlier this week, I got a new magazine in the mail. Hmmm, magazine is probably the wrong word. . . catalog is more like it. I don't really mind getting catalogs in the mail, it's kind of like shopping without crowds and lines and annoying salespeople. Not that I ever buy anything from catalogs, but still, it's probably the most enjoyable "window shopping" experience for me. So where is the catalog from? Cabela's. Cabela's is not really my type of store. However, I do enjoy camping and hiking, and they have plenty of gear for both of those activities. But wait! This is not just the Cabela's catalog. This is the Cabela's Shooting Reloading catalog. It's got everything you could ever want for hunting: ammunition, firearm accessories, clothing, footwear, optics. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about guns. I don't like them. In fact, they make me somewhat uncomfortable. I've never touched a gun, let alone fired one. And I'm kind of proud of that fact. Gun control is one issue where I lean toward the Democrats. I don't think we should abolish all guns, but I am all about controlling them. And hunting is gross to me. Why did I get this catalog, you ask? We bought Clint some ammo for Christmas. And we used my credit card. All apologies to Cabela's, but you guys just wasted 200 pages of paper. At least I got a blog post out of it.

Pregnant Belly 1-18-08

Getting bigger and bigger!

I went to the doctor on Thursday this week. Everything looks good. I'm going to start going in once a week again (we'd cut back to every 2 weeks for a couple of months). For the first time, my OB (Dr. Fagnant) said that he thinks we'll get the baby to full-term without any major problems. He's been the most concerned with this whole pregnancy, so that is great news! Here is a chart that details the different stages of heart failure. I'm a Class 1, and I have been for years. The fact that I'm still a Class 1 and I'm 28 weeks pregnant is a great sign.

Wombsly has been kicking up a storm lately. I love it! Sometimes she does what I call the "earthquake." Clark witnessed it last night for the first time. It feels like she is going crazy in my belly, and you can just see it wiggling all over the place. I can't wait for her to get here!

Another Solicitation

I love pie. Apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, berry pie, just about every kind of pie. And I really love pie crust. Mmmmmm. . . . tasty. Unfortunately, I have to resort to buying pie crust at the store, because I don't really know how to make a good crust. The 1 recipe I have did NOT turn out well the one and only time I made it. And it's not that pie crust from the store is bad, but I am sure I would save money if I learned how to make it on my own. Actually, I don't make pie very often. Mostly that is because I'd have to go out and make a special trip to buy the pie crust from the store. Then I start thinking about how I shouldn't, about how we'd save money and be healthier if we just didn't have pie, and so it doesn't happen. But pie is so good! And I do want it! Anyway, the point is I'd like to have a good pie crust recipe, so if any of you have one, send it my way.

Family Words

I listened to a rebroadcast of a Radio West show today called "Inventing Words." The guest was Paul Dickson who wrote a book called Family Words: The Dictionary for People Who Don't Know a Frone from a Brinkle. Basically, this guy collects made-up words, and he put them all in a book. Some of them are quite good. For example: niblings - nieces and nephews. It is a parallel word to "siblings." It really makes a lot of sense. Another lady calls her ex-husband her was-band. But the point is, everyone has words that they use in their family that no one else uses. Clark has had to teach me what a "bink" is (usually you get a bink in your neck, although you can get them elsewhere). I know the Andersons often accuse the mischievous of being "scampy," which I always thought was a real word, but Clark tells me it isn't. So what are your family words?

More Ultrasound Pics

Here are the latest and greatest photos of little Wombsly. They aren't as good as some of the previous ones, but oh well.

Weekend Adventures

Truth be told, we didn't so much have any grand adventures this weekend. We did finally watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I really enjoyed it. Those movies are tricky, because they obviously can't put the entire book into the movie, so considering the time constraints, I thought they did a good job. Although I didn't hate Umbridge as much as I did in the book. As a side note, the actress who played Umbridge also played Charlotte Jennings Palmer in Sense and Sensibility. You know, Mrs. Jennings' crazy daughter. There are SO many people from Sense and Sensibility that are also in the Harry Potter movies. Gotta love the Brits.

We also watched The Great Escape. As it turns out, I fell asleep (surprise, surprise). But I went back and viewed what I missed the next day (and I have seen it before, so I wasn't totally lost). That is a good flick.

Weekly Quote 1/14/08

"Lip balm?" You know, considering how much I love The Three Amigos, you'd think I'd own it. But I don't. So all of you out there can just tuck that little idea away until my birthday. New quote up!

Another Doctor Update

We went and saw Dr. Gonzales (the perinatologist) on Wednesday. Had our monthly ultrasound. Everything continues to look normal. He took a listen to my heart as well, and mentioned that it sounded even better than it did last month, he couldn't even "hear a gallop," so that is encouraging. Hopefully all this worry will be for nothing! He also mentioned that next month he wanted to get together with Dr. Fagnant (the OB), Dr. Chander (the cardiologist), and the anesthesiologist to discuss a birth plan for me. Here I've been reading all these books that talk about how important it is to create a birth plan, write it down, etc, and I'm going to have my doctors do the job for me. How fortuitous! Especially since I really don't know what I'd write in my birth plan - I want drugs. Lots of them. That's really all I've got. And I completely trust the doctors to make the right decision for me and Wombsly. So there is the update on that.

We also started our birthing class Wednesday night. It seems somewhat . . . elementary. At least the first class. I don't think they'll all be like that. It'll be good to take a tour of the hospital for one of the classes, and another class will be on infant care, which is great because it's been a long time since I cared for an infant really. The other good thing about these classes they are helping me mentally prepare for labor. It's one thing to hear about the process, it's entirely different to picture yourself going through it. And I'm sure going through it will be completely different still. So it's good to have some mental prep.

It's Friday. Maybe Clark and I will have to have an adventure tonight. Just so we have something to blog about.

Frightening Juxtaposition

Last night was Clark's Starcraft night. And most people know that I don't like the photo on the cover of the game, Kerrigan the Zerg. She scares me. Lately I've been a little bit nervous about the whole labor process. So this morning I came to the computer to find this:


Yikes! And yet kind of appropriate, I guess. Although I'm not sure if that would be what labor feels like, or what I will look like to Clark. . .

Doctor update

I took a glucose screening test at my last doctor's visit (on 1/3), but they were out of the testing strips (or whatever equipment it is they use), so they had to send my blood out to the lab. As a side note, I was somewhat concerned about drinking the glucose solution, I've heard about how nasty it is and how some women get sick because of it, but I actually liked it. Just like an orange soda! Anyway, I called today to get my results, and we are normal. Hooray! It's nice to have something normal about my pregnancy. Actually, most things are normal. It's just the possibility that something could be abnormal at some point that makes me high risk. Oh, and I'm still not in heart failure, so that's good.

Weekly Quote 1/7/08

"I tell you what I'm gonna give you, Snakes." This was from Home Alone. Well, from the fake movie Angels With Filthy Souls, as seen in Home Alone. Good times. New quote up!

Taking a stroll in Paris

Do not tempt me, Cafe Rio. Dan in Real Life must wait for another month. Not even Coldstone can lure the money out of my pockets. Why you ask? Well, our "fun" budget for the month has been spent. Clark and I went to an Art Show yesterday, and we found a painting that we both love. And since Clark has always wanted an actual painting in our home, and I really liked that idea as well, we splurged. So until February, our entertainment must consist of eating our Ramen and looking at our painting. Here she is, in all her glory:


And here is Clark, enjoying her beauty:

Pregnant Belly 1-6-08

Yeah, I look hot, I know.

When Madeline Was Young

You know what is a liberating feeling? Putting a book down and saying, "I don't think I'll finish reading that." For so many years of our lives we are required to finish books, no matter how much we don't want to. Sometimes that can be a good thing, how many high school kids would read Crime and Punishment willingly? And sometimes it can ruin the reading experience (I can't help but think of being forced to read the Chronicles of Prydain in the 6th grade, and hating it, only to re-read the books about 5 years later and discover that they are wonderful). But once you are an adult, you can read whatever you want. And you can read as little or as much of it as you want. But here's the catch: it's not guaranteed that the book you want to read will be censored.

I have been reading When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton. It's a book with an interesting concept: it's about a boy who grows up in a house with his mom, his dad, his sister, and Madeline. Madeline is his dad's first wife. She was in a bicycling accident soon after they were married, and left with the mental capacity of a 7 year old. I mean, really, doesn't that peak your interest a little bit? Anyway, it was a good concept, and the writing wasn't bad (at least the part that I read). But I'm afraid I'm somewhat of a "prude" and I take issue with the use of the F bomb. Especially more than once. And most especially more than once on the same page. Basically we met some punk kid who kept swearing, and I just shut the book and said, "No, I don't need to read that." And I wasn't so involved in the book that I couldn't put it down. So I returned it to the library. Maybe I'm missing out on some good literature by choosing not to read books with foul language. But I really think I'll be just fine.

Weekly Quote 12/31/07

Wow, it's Wednesday and I haven't changed the quote yet! Yikes. Ok, last week's quote:

"What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart."

That was from In the Bleak Mid-Winter. New quote up (finally).

Happy New Year!

Well, it's now 2008. Unbelievable! The Millars came down for the weekend (Sabrina had a family reunion down here), and brought a jerk of a friend with them. Yes, as mentioned here, we all got sick except for Brett. I still wasn't feeling too hot yesterday, but so far today I feel good. Let's hope it stays that way, I've got lots of stuff to do. Anyway, the Millars were here, and we still managed to have a good time, in between the trips to the bathroom. We got to play games with Wes, Judy, Trent, and Amelia, which was really quite fun, and we rung in the new year with the traditional Martinelli's.

As you may or may not have noticed, I hit 26 weeks today! According to the ticker, I've got 100 days left! Of course, if you actually do the math, it's more like 98 days, but I'll assume the folks at Lilypie are just trying to be helpful and make people feel better when they don't give birth on their due date. In any event, we've hit the 100 day milestone, and that makes me happy.