Thanks, Mom!

Before Cara was born (so this post is way overdue!) my Mom came. She brought with her a bassinet that has been in the family for many years. As such, it was in desperate need of a new cover- which she made! It's so cute- I love it! She asked me to post pictures of it to show off- so here they finally are! Thanks, Mom!

Sadly legitimate

Just to clarify and ease some concerns... We had a contract through April, but after that we went on a month-to-month contract, in which it stipulates that either we or the landlord could give 30 days' notice to terminate.

Also- Ryan put some new caulking on the bathtub, and it seems to have fixed the problem. They'll still want to go in and redo everything, because the wall and the floor have gotten quite rotten, but it's fun to say that Ryan was right and the owners were wrong. :) Is that bad? Probably.

Calling All Cardboard Boxes!!!

Our apartment rains. It doesn't affect us, but every time we take a shower our downstairs neighbors get a little more flooded. The owners have come by several times in the past week and tried to fix it. Each time they have left with the assurance that they've finally remedied the situation, only to show up again the next day when the problem has persisted. Finally the guy who was working on it decided that we were the problem- that we were splashing water out (unintentionally) when we shower. Ryan tried to tell him that, no, we were not the problem. It was more likely that the ancient grout around the shower was no longer intact and was in effect funneling water into the wall and down through the floor. The guy didn't listen. He told us to put a towel on the floor when we showered to catch any water that spilled. We did. It came out dry, when the wall just above it was soaked.

The situation came to a head this afternoon when the apartment manager came by to tell us that they had decided to vacate the apartment in order to do some maintenance work on it. We have until the 31st of this month to leave.

And so, we need boxes- maybe a couple from large appliances such as a refrigerator or washing machine. After all, we need somewhere to live while we figure out where we're going.

Cara's Faces

Tathea

I have a love/hate relationship with books. I absolutely love good fantasy, and generally devour it in a matter of days, if not hours. Off the top of my head, I can't think of another genre that captures my interest nearly as completely.

Sadly, good fantasy is supremely difficult to find. I have a few series that I would recommend: The Wheel of Time, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Deathgate Cycle, Dealing with Dragons, the Mistborn Trilogy, and the Kingkiller Chronicles, to name- well, most* of them, really. Quite sadly, much of fantasy is gore or sex, in varying degrees. I don't mind reading some violence, as long as the whole of the book is not geared toward the next battle. I don't like -at all!- reading about sex. But there is so much more that could be had in these books! I want good characters, characters who grow and develop and deal with battles that are as much internal as they are external. So much of the time, I go to the bookstore or the library and struggle for an hour or more to try to find one good book. It has gotten so that I don't go to the bookstore if I can help it, simply because there is so much to choose from, so little to recommend itself, and everything is so expensive!

However, as I said before, I devour books. When I find a good one, putting it down becomes the most difficult thing in the world to me. So, the other day, we went to the library in search of something for me to read while feeding Cara. (Nursing gives one a lot of down time...)

I searched the aisles for several minutes before finding a book called Tathea written by Anne Perry. Right next to it (delightfully) was the sequel, called Come Armageddon. I picked up the first one and read the inside cover. The writing was interesting, and the concept fresh and new. A tiny thrill went down my spine as I realized that maybe, just maybe, this book was something I was looking for! I pulled the sequel off the shelf without reading the cover and brought them both home.

As I delved into its pages, I realized that Tathea was the fantastical story of the Gospel. Essentially, it seeks to discover how the Gospel might be presented on another world, one in which the Atonement had not taken place, but was still in effect (as the nature of it is eternal). How might the teachings of the Lord come forth in a world where the Savior would never walk as mortal man? What methods would be used? What organization would be formed? Who would be the messenger?

The only information given about the author is that she generally writes Victorian novels, and that this book is, in her estimation, her most important work so far. As a member of the LDS faith and an aspiring author, I can understand why. I am certain she is also a member. There are, essentially, verses straight out of Nephi. So many philosophies presented are the teachings we receive every week in Church. She even paints a picture of what the council in heaven may have been like, with the two plans presented and the Savior's chosen.

It is interesting seeing the various representations of good and evil, and the relative innocence with which the characters are portrayed. It is not as though their struggles are small- in many ways they are much bigger than anything I have ever faced. Yet, their struggle with evil, because it is so new to them, seems so unsophisticated compared to the things we see today. It is also interesting, given the way the book is written, to see the gospel in a different light. It is almost as if, in reading through this book, I could better understand what it would be like to hear the gospel for the first time. I wouldn't say it was my favorite book of all time, but it is a good read- not only because it sparks new ideas but also because the writing and the characters are genuinely interesting. I would recommend it, although I don't know to whom.

Is that weird?

Anyway, so read it... or don't. If you do, I'd be curious to know your thoughts. Email me at missjedi@gmail.com when you're done. :)

P.S. I am really long-winded. Sorry about that.

*There are also a couple of scifi series that I would recommend, but in my opinion scifi and fantasy are blurred together way too often. Also- in case you were wondering, I did not forget either Harry Potter or Twilight. I love Twilight, but with reservations. I don't like Harry Potter at all.

The Mommy Phenomenon

It's the craziest thing. I'm a scant week and a half into Mommyhood, and already I've discovered new abilities. I can survive on less sleep, use one hand to complete work that should require five, and have developed an uncanny ability to find anything. I can handle bank statements, cleaning the kitchen, and laundry all at once. I keep a catalog in my head of the things that need to be done and when they need to be done by. I can run my own life, my daughter's life, and keep track of my husband's life. I go grocery shopping, clothes shopping, birthday shopping, and always answer the telephone in a pleasant voice. I even noticed, the other day, two little bumps forming on the back of my head. I'll have to figure out how other moms keep them hidden while still managing to see everything...

Heehee. Not. Truthfully, I'm still tired and sore, and completely sick of it. I haven't cooked in at least two weeks. I try to keep up with it, but my house is definitely more messy than I would prefer. Half the time I sleep through Cara's crying at night, and only rouse when Ryan wakes me with a gentle touch, having already changed her diaper and stayed up for half an hour trying to soothe her. I am so grateful for all the help we have received from family and friends, for without it I would truly be a wreck.

There is one superpower, though, that is worth mentioning. Through the nine months of carrying her, somehow Cara came to know me and to recognize me. She is so cared for and loved- especially by Ryan. He holds her, and talks to her, and plays with her, and is amazing to her in every way. In all reality, I'm probably not quite as kind with her. I love her with all my heart, but I don't go to her side at every whimper. I often let her get up to a lusty cry before I try to help her. But somehow, even when I don't do anything but hold her, she usually quiets when she's in my arms. Others will bend over backwards to make her happy, and she usually is happy, but even though I do nothing but hold her, she will get quiet and know that everything is going to be okay. It's a really neat feeling.

Progress Notes

Just a quick little post to let everyone know... we got Cara tested again yesterday, and her numbers had dropped so low that they ran the test again, just to make sure it was correct. The jaundice is gone! They're coming to pick up the lights probably tomorrow, and in the meantime she's getting used to sleeping in her own bed. Alleluia!

Also, my Mom has been here for two weeks already to help me with everything. She's been completely wonderful! My Dad flew in on Friday, but has to get back to California to run his business. Hence, even though she's less than a week old, she was blessed today (I guess technically it's yesterday, now) in Church. It was beautiful.

Beyond that, she's eating well (though every feeding takes at least an hour!) and as long as she gets a good meal, she sleeps well during the night. She'll give us at least 4 hours between feedings, which is completely awesome. Ryan is amazing... he usually wakes up to her fussing long before I do. He takes care of her until she starts full-on crying, at which point I stay up with her. I'm not getting quite as much sleep as I would like, but I'm not complaining in the slightest! She's such a good, pleasant, happy baby!