i hate to cry

(Here is your daily Eloise.)
no really, like spent 4 years refusing to see a romantic comedy, any episodes of ER, or anything on TLC, kind of hate. The kind of hate that would drive a girl to disallow any and all music except Ani DiFranco (the angry years) and Fiona Apple. This string of overtly hostile years was finally crushed out of existence upon becoming pregnant. No longer could I avoid cry triggers, because the front porch could bring it on. I share this so that anyone who was not present during those years will understand how ridiculous it is that I keep watching the trailer for "My Sisters Keeper". I watch, I cry, I try to stay away, but it is almost as addictive as the trailer for "Funny People".
also of note, I hereby declare fresh ground honey roasted peanut butter from market street a trigger food. It is like the vodka* of peanut butters. I can no longer have it in my house.

*vodka was my beverage of choice back in the days of poor choices.

Lore

This is my stunning niece.  She was the inspiration for our kiddo.  Actually, I think she was the inspiration for my marriage.  When Paul and I were fairly early on in our relationship she was born.  We went on a road trip to Arkansas, where her father was finishing Law School.  Paul was nervous about it on the way up.  He was so concerned that people would think he was weird to want to kiss on a kid that wasn't his.  After several assurances that our family thinks nothing is weirder than a person who can keep their hands OFF a baby, he decided that it would be best if he took pictures of her and left the holding to us.  

That didn't work out so well.  He could not help himself.  She was head over heels in love.  I mean he LIKED me, but he LOVED her.  and I loved him lovin her! (at this moment I am spouting foul language at said husband for moving picture files all over the f(*&ing internet and leaving NO TRAIL as to how to find them.  He falls in love with a new site and poof, leaves all old pics on the old one and starts using the new one. )  I digress.  Anyway, as I encourage him to find those pictures for me to share with my vast readership of like 2 people (I love you guys, really) I will leave you with another picture of Eloise.

Easter Sunday, how f%#@ing cute is she!!!??!?!?!

Best Movie I've seen all year

The winner of the academy award for best foreign film.  Japanese movie, Departures.  Some may say I am biased towards Japanese movies, well, you are right, but authentically, this is the best movie I have seen in a LONG time.  It is moving and gorgeous and well acted with a beautiful soundtrack.  I will probably be raving about this one for awhile.

In other news, Eloise's future husband invited us to his birthday party.  No seriously, I could really dig having his parents as in-laws.  I am thrilled.  

Eloise has taken to sucking on my arm and hand, it is cute and a relief for my nipples, but the hickeys are unsightly to say the least. 

That is all.

Skinny kate, blog Stalking, friend finding and fertility

1. This is why I am back on the workout wagon.  An old co-worker emailed me a link to this pic from a conference I was attending in San Antonio right after I met my husband.  Not quite the svelte chick I was then.  My boobs actually look like a normal persons!  I have 20lbs and several cups sizes on that girl.   

2. I actually got an email back for the cool aussie mormon artist chick.  I wish I had the balls to wear dreads, I mean how cool is that?   I went to the blog from which I found her and saw that there were links to other blogs and may I just say, I think the OC must put something in the water to make it rain chicks I wish I could hang out with.  

3. I was complaining about my lack of buds the other day and ran into Kary who is somewhat of a hero to me.  She is cool, nice, funny and laid back, but never boring.  I then stroller Elle past one of the cooler houses in our neighborhood and some women were sitting on the porch drinking beer and chatting while about 8 kids played in the yard.  One of the women asked how old Eloise was and we started talking.  They invited me to a historic district play group.  This sounds like a blast.  The question to ponder then is, when they offer me a beer for the 4th time do I tell them I am a mormon or a recovering alcoholic?  Both seems like overkill right?  Which one is less likely to alienate me?  And do I give a hoot?

4. Weird things are happening in my families private regions.  The littlest sister has remnants of maleness, fibroids, and poly cystic ovarian syndrome on one of her fallopian tubes.  She has a 3 year old and has been trying to get pregnant again for awhile now.  The middle sister is on her latest round of hormone injections and sonograms in hopes of conceiving soon as well.  IVF is the next option.  My mother joked for a year that we would all get pregnant at the same time and have 3 boys.  If LS needs a laproscopy and MS needs IVF, mom could be right about the 3 pregnant drake girls, God help the men during the holidays if that is the case.

The Cooter Diaries

I went to see the midwife that delivered Eloise today.  She was amazed at how big Elle has gotten.  Interesting encounter:

Me: soooo, are things dropping or....

Aliza: everything looks fine...

Me: ok, uh..

Aliza: are you doing your kegels?

Me: not so much

Aliza: squeeze my fingers, ok

           that's good, just do more kegels

All I could think was "Pull my finger"  The visual was astounding.  

Awkward turtle

Things with which I am currently enamoured:

1. These 2 LDS chick bloggers.  2nd sister sauviloquy and embers , respectively.  Seriously, where are the women like this in Texas?  

2. Mothering Magazine, even my mother looks at me cross-eyed about the co-sleeping thing, and the woman marched against nuclear armament with me in utero!

3. Chess With Friends on the IPhone, I know, I know, shameless plug, but since my husband is the only person who reads this sad excuse for a blog, I had to mention the game he created.

4. The trailer for Funny People.  I may have watched it 15 times.  The stage that Adam Sandler is doing stand up on in the beginning is at the improv on Melrose where I spent a considerable amount of time while drifting in LA for a couple of years. 

5.  Eloise, could she be any cuter?  

6. Carol Lynn Pearson.  Consider the Butterfly is still one of the best books available in Mormland.

7. MGMT's Electric Eel, the song keeps getting stuck in my head.  It seems to require of me a jog.