Since Mr Baker and I are missing out on all the action my folks are experiencing back in Dixie Land, we had the bright idea to make home-made blizzards--or shall we call them "Hurricanes?= yes.
Take some scoops of vanilla ice cream, add my mom's recipe for sop chocolate
and an undisclosed amount of chopped up funsize 3 musketeers
blend all in the blender and then have your husband turn off all the lights to simulate the next 2 weeks of no power because your street is one of the last ones Dominion Power will get to. And then when your husband turns back on the lights, blender is magically empty
Ooops! I guess the wind just knocked it all into my mouth.
Just kidding, I did share with Mr Baker.
It was sooooo good!!!! Definitely worth the awkward side stretches I had to do in the middle of Wal-mart to relieve the pain under my ribs while Mr Baker consults whether the 24 bag of funsize 3 musketeers is really .03 cents cheaper per ounce than the 8 pack sleeve--but eventually he realized I was just trying to pull a sly one so I could have the leftovers, which he thanks is cute and therefore will by the 24 pack. the checking to see the difference in .03 cents per ounce was one of those moments I had to do a double take to make sure I went to the store with my HUSBAND and not my DAD. It was right up there with the Bill Cosby videos, the messy desk and ...well I can't remember the rest, I'm pregnant and my brain doesn't remember everything--which reminds me I need to write a post about how pregnancy is really a preparation for old age (you just get used to going to bed and knowing that when you wake up there will be something that you could do yesterday but cannot do today) ;)
I've had a few friends who've gained 30-50 lbs and had 7lb babies. Watch it be that, after all my work to keep from gaining too much weight that I'll give birth to 10lb-er ;)
This info from webmd.com explains where all the weight goes to:
Baby.... 8lbs
Placenta 2-3 lbs
Aminotic fluid 2-3 lbs
Breast tissue 2-3 lbs
Blood supply 4 lbs
Fat stores for delivery and breast feeding 5-9 lbs (I had fat stores before I got pregnant, why do I need more, and why do I need it for delivery--all I need is someone to catch her when she comes out)
Uterus increase 2-5 lbs
Totals to 25- 35 pounds
So using percentages I can deduce that at 20 lbs statistically my weight spread would currently be:
Baby 6 lbs 4 ounces
Placenta 1.6 lbs
Aminotic fluid 1.6 lbs
Breast tissue 1.6 lbs
Blood supply 3.2 lbs
Fat Stores 4lbs
Uterus increase 1.6 lbs
At 31 weeks Poppyseed is it keeping close to home (home being synonym for my rib cage). At any given moment at my house you can see me stretching like this, either left or right:
I ran into my friend Erica's husband today and he commented that I was carrying high. He and his wife had their baby girl just 11 days ago (and she was one of the most beautiful newborns I had ever seen). Poor Erica carried all in front and low, but as large as that might have made her feel I bet she didn't have as much of time dealing with a baby whom is dying to get to the playground and has mistaken your ribcage for the monkey bars. ( note to Poppyseed: although Smith Park is north of our house, you're going to have to head south to get there, schatze)
There's pros and cons to however the kids want to "hang out" during pregnancy, and I'm not complaining about the cons in mine--or anything else with pregnancy from now on. I learned a couple days ago that one of my friends, who was due in September (when you get pregnant, you tend to acquire a lot of other pregnant friends too), lost her baby last week at her baby shower. Apparently the umbilical cord got wrapped around his neck in strangled him in the womb.
This all happened just a couple days before her sister's wedding--and that was a tender mercy since it meant that all her family was in town to comfort and support her.
I acknowledge the possibility of such things happening to my little Poppyseed, but I'm not letting myself worry over it--there's no point in that. I know though that whatever happens, if it is bad, that Heavenly Father has promised that in the end all our losses will be made up when we follow His commandments. That gives me a great deal of comfort.
And while watching it, I have watched it a few times before, my mind wandered a little. It's very easy for this scientist to go to work and see the Hand of God through his work, so I thought to myself, "Why don't I realize God's handiwork in my couch? (and you might reply: because it's so ugly) " I thought , "I know it once was all raw materials which came from nature which originates from God, but something in the fact that the the hand of man came in and manufactured my couch removes the context by which I more readily see Heavenly Father's impact on it. I wonder at the life of Adam and Eve and those generations that lived so primitively and the civilizations that followed them and wonder if they didn't have an easier time believing in a Divine Creator because they lived in a world more dictated by the ebb and flow of nature.
Someone was once said something to the effect that: we criticize people who lived 500 years ago for being so gullible that all a priest had to do was say "Thus saith the Lord" and they believed it. However we don't recognize that we are just as gullible because all a news anchor has to do is say "Thus saith Science" and we believe it
And I wonder if the reason so many people believe less in God and more into science has to do more with lifestyle shift than any advance in human intelligence. We now live in a very mechanical and material world whereas before people lived in a more natural one. You don't see the hand of God as readily in a rocking chair you purchased from Anthropologie as you do a rocking chair you fashioned and built from the tree you yourself chopped down in the forest. The context of ones daily life 3 or more steps removed from God and that was not always so.
I think most of us take for granted our own ignorance of the bigger picture of things--and I'm not just talking about in terms of spirituality or religion, I'm talking about science, here. When Dr. Lewis, in the video, talks about the immensity of the universe and how incapable we are of comprehending all of it, I'm led to compare it to the human mind. Psychology gets a lot of grief for not being a "hard science" but that is because the field is still in its infancy and because just one persons brain is as immense in its variables and possibilities as the universe is.
The general public most often doesn't get beyond a surface level understanding of science and psychology. It's what we vaguely remember from our classes in high school or college, or what see on msn.com or some trendy book we find at Barnes and Noble and is therefore on skin deep or superficial and we don't really question it or think it through. Hundreds of years ago everyone believed that the earth was flat and the body was ruled by the balance of four liquids or humours because it made sense to them, but since then we have learned otherwise. However, people still buy into what "makes sense" to them especially if it is explained to them by an authoritative figure. A lot of people believe in theories like "The Color Code" or "5 Love Languages" but these are only skin deep observations of the human personality and they are very limiting in their understanding.
The more I learn about the human mind the more I come to understand the impossibility of defining it in such narrow and concrete terms. How much do I only dwell on the skin of my thoughts and mind and how little do I actually get down to the bones of who I am and truly understanding myself--and it is in recognizing that incompetency on my part that leads me to believe that there is a High Power, there is a Heavenly Father that created me and there is veil between my puny powers of mortal recognition and the eternal perspective. Just as the more we learn about the universe we realize more both 1) how limitless are the number of things we don't know and 2) how impossible it is for us to understand them, so it goes with the mind and we gain a sense of the eternal. It is these moments that I recognize my own ignorance that persuade me to trust more in Heavenly Father's understanding of who I am, what I am capable of doing, what I need to go through to get there than what I think I know.
That's why I believe that we shouldn't rely so heavily on therapists, or friends, or Doctors, or Bishops, or parents, or popular books, or medications, or chocolate to solve the all these problems we think we have--because they don't have all the answers. They can help but too often we lean on that rather than rely on prayer and revelation--that personal relationship with Heavenly Father. We deprive ourselves of that experience and growth in faith because it's so much easier to physically talk to another human being than to search out within ourselves by the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
A person might go to a therapist/friend/Doctor/etc... and lament "I'm just not happy right now, can you make me life pleasant, because it's not right now and I don't like that". But a simple study of the doctrines of the gospel, with the personal witness of the Holy Ghost would testify to that person that life is not meant to always be pleasant, and it is through the balance of easy and hard times in our lives that we grow and find true joy and happiness. Then as a person exercises faith in this doctrine and trusts in Heavenly Father that doctrine is then proven to them by experience.
The more "learned" I become the more I realize that the answers to life's questions are all answered through those "primary answers" of scripture study, prayer, personal revelation, and attending Sacrament Meeting.
They say that infants can hear you in the womb.
In this case, don't talk about your pranks when you were a teenager and single college student
Maybe I'll be assigned to help in young women's during her girls camp years, and then we can go tp-ing the Young Women's President's car together :)
She might take after you and decide that it would be oh such fun to not move a muscle for 2 hours the morning you wake up to simultaneously experience steady Braxton Hicks contractions and cramps from gas, giving you a little scare.
Then she'll wait until just the moment you sit down in the Doctor's waiting room to announce "just kidding" here's a good little kick. Silly little poppyseed.
At least I got to hear her heart beat: a steady 139 beats per minute.
The nurse, Kathy, was kind enough to measure my stomach at my request (they forgot last time) and I'm measuring 30 weeks right on the dot-- "Model patient today" quoth the nurse.
Andrew snagged this one while I was trying (in vain) to give more volume to my hair
Have I mentioned how much I don't like posing for pregnancy pictures?
They make me look tired and I'm not, and my face isn't swollen, and I promise that when I look in the mirror my hair is a lot cuter. ....But then I've ALWAYS felt that way about pictures of me without pregnancy. Perhaps everybody says to themselves when they look at pictures of them, "that is not the face or body I woke up with today."
So it took a while (and a few wardrobe changes) before I got one that satisfied me.
Looking back (as Andrew took this photo a few days ago) it probably would have been easier to get a decent preg-go pic if I hadn't been in a very pouty mood earlier that day. We don't need to go into details here, but we all know that there are days when you run into the harder realities of life. They are not pleasant, but they're not trials either--at least they don't have to be, with the right attitude. In my opinion they're actually very few things in life that really count as trials. There are just certain circumstances in life and if we should accept them and be grateful for what we have in our lives. The other day I wasn't doing that, I was just focusing on how I wasn't getting something I wanted. And even though it was a very worthy "want", nothing superficial or only beneficial to moi, there was no reason to feel so sorry for myself. I was sitting in the living room sorting laundry when it hit that I was being very ungrateful and selfish. I was inside a comfortable and reasonably priced apartment--residing in a terrific community. I was surrounded by a room full of furniture, although not the cutest or most elegant, I did not have to pay one cent for. Inside my bedroom there is a crib filled to the brim with baby clothes to be sorted, and a few boxes more besides, that had all been given to me. I have a wonderful husband and family and countless other blessings--so what right did I have to complain if some plans for the future weren't going my way? It was a very humbling moment not only for that but because just that morning I had been thanking my Heavenly Father for the manifold of blessings with which he has bestowed on us and asking Him how I could show more gratitude to Him for them.
Did I mention that Disney songs on Pandora are surprisingly apropos at these meetings with reality--eventually you come to the realization that this is all just a part of the circle of life, and that just around the river bend there will be happier moments so when the less joyous ones are upon you, you say to yourself, "hakuna matata" and get on with life. It also helps that your wonderful husband will forget himself and the feelings you might have injured in a moment when you were less than who you ought to be, and do his best to cheer you up--even if it means slow dancing to "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (from Mulan) in the Laundry room--some how that just works, don't ask me why. Nope, no matter how many bad pictures or disappointed hopes and plans come my way--I cannot deny that my life is very blessed and that I have every reason to be happy.
Somewhere Bro. Clark is cringing over the photographic talent and training I am squandering in this pic
The clothes line of baby clothes is our storage solution... until she's about 3 or 4 months, then we have to look into other options--but this was penniless and painless and will make changing her clothes and putting away Poppyseed's laundry a lot easier. There really is no satisfying way to fold infant clothes.
I don't know why, but already I'm thinking about what kind of things Mr Baker and I will do for Christmases with our kids...even though Christmas is 5 months away, and Christmas with KIDS (not infants) is at least 4 years away
(I think my 2 favorite things about this movie are the crescendoing chorus of Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Dad helping retrieve the Baby Jesus for the daughter. It reminds me so much of my first memory of my Dad. I had those candy bracelet and necklaces, but they were on the counter in the kitchen --this was before my brothers were born so I was at least 4-- I was just a little too short to reach them. Then all of a sudden, my giant of a dad was there next to me. He picked up the candy necklace and bracelet, put them around my neck and wrist, respectfully, and then I said thank you and scurried. It's a favorite memory of mine)
Christmases for the Baker family are going to be humble affairs for most of our kids lives--but not pitiful. Stemming from the fact that we neither want nor will have the means of providing massive gift giving extravaganzas, Mr Baker and I want to have Christmas traditions in our family that will make it more a fun time to be together rather than the "how much of my wish list did Mom and Dad deliver"
My younger brothers and I would stay up Christmas Eve watching Disney movies. And there was the Christmas Eve dinner of Spaetzle, lentils, brats, and German potato salad. Oma had her Christmas Pyramids from Germany, which I loved. Oma would also take me to see the Nutcracker Ballet whenever she could--would remains one of my absolute favorite Christmas gifts of all time. We most often had a live Christmas tree and Mom would take some of the trimmed branches and light a few sprigs just enough to spread the scent of pine throughout the house. She did it because Oma did it when my mom was a little girl, and Oma did it because it reminded her of the candles they let on their Christmas trees in Germany when Oma was a little girl. And then of course their is steak and eggs and sop chocolate for breakfast Christmas morning. And of course we read the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve
Some of these family traditions, although treasured, are out of our price range (IE steak and shrimp cocktail, Nutcracker ballet, live Christmas tree ... bummer) But we can keep up some of them: German food for Christmas Eve, Sop chocolate Christmas morning and I 'm sure I could scrounge a pine branch from somewhere.
My mom's best friend Margaret's family acts out the Nativity every year. I saw a picture of one they did a couple years ago and with the advent of grandkids as well as their own grown up children--it has become quite an epic show. So that is something Mr Baker and I will consider doing when we've got a few children running around.
Some other ideas I had were, instead of just buying candy, we might spend Christmas Eve day making candies as a family--I have a cookbook solely dedicated to candy making. I got that idea after my roommate one semester spent an evening with her sister-in-law and mom (who were visiting) making truffles--and they were very good.
Then there's that time in between the last present being opened and before the big feast of Christmas Dinner when you just don't know what to do--especially when you outgrow getting toys and although you may be thrilled to get cashmere socks, they are not very entertaining for very long--not like how a gi joe jeep could be. You could watch "A Christmas Story" with Dad, but by Christmas Day you've already watched it a million times. You might want to watch "Joy to the World" with Oma, but Dad's already watching "A Christmas Story" so the only other option is to go upstairs--but that doesn't work for Oma and besides Mom's in her room getting a much needed nap in prep for Dinner that night (which will be epic on all accounts mind you). And you don't want to go to your own room because no one's there and it's a mess anyway. So I think with Mr Baker and I we'll gather up all the kids after the presents and make ginger bread houses, then Mr Baker can play with the kids and read them Christmas Stories while I take my nap and make my own epic dinner on all accounts. But these are all things that won't be much fun until Poppyseed is like 2, So I don't know what we'll do until then.
I think Mr Baker is starting his own tradition in that all he wants for Christmas is pie--Pecan Pie being his FAVORITE--it's what he wanted last year and it's what he wants this year and many years on. And he likes that that store bought pecan pies have all that filling and only a few nuts, which I cannot understand because I was so blessed to have my mom's which is a lot of nuts and just the right amount of filling. Then I realized that Mr Baker is a convert to true pie enjoyment--he was not "born under the crust" you could say. But I think in time he will come to appreciate the difference when he realizes he can eat much more of my mom's pie without "and you shall run and not be weary" not gaining a second meaning in regards to "the Virginia Quickstep"
I always enjoyed Christmases with my family and I want my kids to also have fond memories. What are some of the things you loved about Christmas when you were a Kid
Do you think it will fit?
That's a little coming home bonnet I crocheted just for her
I'm so excited to meet my little girl. With Mr Baker away at Scouts camp I had plenty of time to wish she was already here to have fun girl time with. My mom and I always had good fun together when it was just the two of us while Dad and the boys went off to camp for the week. Even though she'll only be nine months old next year when Mr Baker goes off to camp I fully plan on implementing girls nights with her. She'll be able to share some bites of frozen yogurt with me at twizlberry, and I can paint her toe nails while she naps, or take her to the swimming pool with me, or walks in the park--- but when she can start eating solid foods that's when the real fun will start!--our whole menu of ladies-night treats will explode. I've also enjoyed planning other things for her. I have fond memories of my mom reading "Little House in the Big Woods" while we were sitting in the car at the hospital waiting for my dad's mother, Nana, to come out from physical therapy. Mom and I read a lot of Little House books (including the expanded series) --this is something my brothers never showed much interest in btw. We often planned on doing a little pilgrimage to some of the Little House sites, but perhaps we'll be able to do that with Poppyseed when she's older. I also have been trying to get in the habit of singing some primary songs while doing housework. Why? Because I remember my first day in primary. I remember sitting there during singing time while everyone else was singing and I didn't know the words so I just mouthed at every song. I remember feeling very sheepish about it so maybe if I sing some of the more well known ones around Poppyseed she'll at least know a few. I like this little number a whole lot:
A smile is like the sunshine;
It brightens up the day.
It gives the eye a twinkle----
and chases clouds away.
I think we'll save ones like "A Child's Prayer" for Senior Primary days, the Junior Primary songs can be so much fun. But then again I always enjoyed when I could babysit a baby under the age of two and I could sit in a rocker and sing the more melodic primary songs to them and rock them to sleep--I hope that's something I can find time to do with my little ones. Even when babysitting bigger kids like my old apartment managers-- those guys were 6,4,and 2--I still sang to them and they loved it. I let them choose 2-3 songs and then kissed them good night. I sincerely hope that that is something that becomes a tradition for my kids and that despite all the tiredness and exhausted nerves my kids can count on at least one lullaby from their mother before bed--or perhaps we'll do it as a family and sing to the youngest, I don't know, we'll just find what's right for us, but singing a song together as a family before family prayer might be the thing--we'll see
I don't want to be one of those parents that "makes plans for their kids" such as trying to mold them into doctors or athletes, but I do hope that they have an appreciation for music in their lives. I'll be thrilled if one of them has the talent and passion to pursue an instrument or vocal but I won't get my hopes up on that. However, having a child sit by me and be just as thrilled with a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet as I did with my Oma would truly be a delight to me.
